NEW  YORK 


„.  ,, 

'  <~s        (S 

/   U/ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT  OK 


Received          Jr(flT       /' 
Accession  No.   <§^/6  63    •    Class  No." 


i 


ECLECTIC    SCHOOL    READINGS 


STORIES    FROM 


THE     ARABIAN     NIGHTS 


SELECTED    AND    EDITED    BY 


M.   CLARKE 


NEW   YORK    :    CINCINNATI  •  :•    CHICAGO 
AMERICAN  BOOK  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1897,  BY 
AMERICAN   BOOK   COMPANY. 


Arabian  Nights. 
W.   P.    I 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

INTRODUCTION       . 5 

STORY   OF   THE    PORTER,    THE    LADIES    OF   BAGDAD, 

AND    THE    THREE   CALENDERS 9 

STORY  OF  THE  FIRST  CALENDER ig 

STORY  OF  THE  SECOND  CALENDER^ 23 

STORY  OF  THE  ENVIOUS  MAN  AND  OF  HIM  WHO  WAS  ENVIED    .  27 

CONTINUATION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  THE  SECOND  CALENDER     .  30 

STORY  OF  THE  THIRD  CALENDER 37 

STORY  OF  ZOBEIDE 50 

STORY  OF  SAFIE 55 

CONCLUSION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  THE  LADIES  OF  BAGDAD   .     .  60 

STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS 61 

STORY  OF  THE  GENIE  IN  THE  PILLAR 66 

CONTINUATION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS      .     .  69 

STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE   SEA 78 

STORY  OF  KING  BEDER  BASIM  AND  THE  PRINCESS  JOHARAH  .  84 

STORY  OF  THE  THREE  SISTERS 103 

STORY  OF  ABOU  HASSAN  THE  WAG,  OR  THE  SLEEPER 

AWAKENED 123 

3 


PAGE. 

STORY  OF  ALADDIN  AND  THE   WONDERFUL   LAMP      .  145 

STORY  OF  PRINCE  ZEYN  ALASNAM  AND  THE  SULTAN 

OF  THE  GENIES 173 

STORY    OF    PRINCE    AHMED    AND    THE    FAIRY    PERIE 

BANOU 186 

PRINCE  HOUSSAIN  AND  THE  CARPET 187 

PRINCE  ALI  AND  THE  IVORY  TUBE 189 

PRINCE  AHMED  AND  THE  APPLE 190 

CONTINUATION   OF  THE   STORY  OF   PRINCE  AHMED  AND  THE 

FAIRY  PERIE  BANOU 191 

STORY  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR 211 

SINDUAD'S  FIRST  VOYAGE  .     .     .     , .     .     .  213 

SINDBAD'S  SECOND  VOYAGE 216 

SINDBAD'S  THIRD  VOYAGE 220 

SINDBAD'S  FOURTH  VOYAGE 224 

SINDBAD'S  FIFTH  VOYAGE  .     .     .     , 228 

STORY  OF  ALI  BABA  AND  THE  FORTY  THIEVES  ...  231 

STORY  OF  THE  MAN  WHO   REPENTED   WHEN   IT   WAS 

TOO  LATE 248 

STORY  OF  THE  BARBER 253 

STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  FIRST  BROTHER 255 

STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  SECOND  BROTHER 259 

STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  THIRD   BROTHER 262 

STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  FOURTH  BROTHER 267 


INTRODUCTION. 

— 

The  "  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments  "  are  famous  stories 
that  were  written  many  centuries  ago  in  the  Arabic  language. 
It  is  not  known  who  the  author  of  them  was,  or  in  what  country 
they  were  first  written;  but  it  is  believed  that  some  of  them 
came  originally  from  India,  and  others  from  Persia  and  Arabia. 

The  stories  were  first  brought  to  Europe  by  a  Frenchman 
named  Galland.  He  lived  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  century, 
and  was  a  professor  in  a  college  in  Paris.  He  had  traveled  a 
good  deal  in  Asia,  and  during  his  travels  he  found  the  "Arabian 
Nights'  Entertainments,"  or  the  "  Thousand  and  One  Nights," 
as  they  are  also  called.  The  stories  were  then  in  manuscript, 
for  they  had  not  yet  been  printed.  Professor  Galland  translated 
them  into  French,  and  they  were  soon  published  in  English  and 
all  the  languages  of  Europe. 

Other  manuscript  copies  in  Arabic  of  the  "  Thousand  and  One 
Nights  "  were  afterwards  found.  They  contained  many  more 
stories  than  those  in  Professor  Galland'  s  book,  and  several 
translations  from  them  into  English  have  been  made.  An  ex- 
cellent English  translation  by  Edward  William  Lane  was  pub- 
lished in  1839.  From  that  work  some  of  the  stories  in  this 
volume  are  in  part  taken. 

The  name  "  Thousand  and  One  Nights  "  was  given  to  the 
stories  because  the  telling  of  them  is  said  to  have  occupied  that 
length  of  time.  They  were  told  to  Schahriar,  a  great  king  of 
India,  by  his  wife,  Queen  Scheherazade,  the  narrating  of  them 
being  continued,  from  night  to  night,  for  a  thousand  and  one 

nights. 

5 


In  many  of  the  stories  mention  is  made  of  Haroun  Alraschid. 
He  was  a  great  king  who  lived  more  than  a  thousand  years  ago 
in  Bagdad,  a  city  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Tigris,  in 
the  country  now  known  as  Turkey  in  Asia.  The  kings  of  Bag- 
dad had  the  title  of  Caliph,  a  word  which  means  "  successor." 
They  were  so  called  because  they  were  the  successors  of  Mo- 
hammed, a  celebrated  teacher  who  founded  the  religion  which 
since  his  time  has  prevailed  in  many  parts  of  Asia,  and  Africa. 
His  followers  are  called  Mohammedans,  and  are  also  known 
as  Mussulmans,  or  Moslems.  They  believe  that  Mohammed 
was  a  great  prophet,  and  the  chosen  apostle  of  God.  This 
belief  they  express  in  their  prayers,  which  usually  begin  with  these 
words:  "  There  is  no  deity  but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  God's 
Apostle. ' '  The  sacred  book,  or  bible,  of  the  Moslems  is  called 
the  Koran,  and  they  believe  that  what  it  contains  was  told  to 
Mohammed  by  an  angel  sent  down  from  heaven. 

The  Caliph  of  Bagdad  was  head  of  the  Mohammedan  religion 
as  well  as  king  and  ruler  of  the  country.  He  was  therefore  ad- 
dressed as  "Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  or  "Prince  of  the 
Faithful,"  that  is  of  those  who  believed  in  the  prophet  Mo- 
hammed. The  chief  minister  of  the  Caliph  was  called  the 
Vizier.  Besides  the  Caliph  there  were  other  kings  in  Moham- 
medan countries.  They  were  called  Sultans,  and  were  usually 
subject  to  the  authority  of  the  Caliph. 

The  "  Thousand  and  One  Nights"  has  always  been  highly 
esteemed  and  admired  in  Europe  and  America  as  well  as 
amongst  the  Arabs,  who  are  great  lovers  of  tales  and  romances. 
There  is,  perhaps,  no  other  book  of  stories  in  existence  which 
has  afforded  so  much  entertainment  and  delight  to  so  many 
readers,  old  and  young.  ^Of  course  these  stories  are  not  true, 
but  they  give  us  a  good  deal  of  information  as  to  the  manners 
and  customs  of  Eastern  nations.}  It  is,  however,  as  stories  that 
they  are  mainly  interesting, —  stories  of  genies  and  magicians,  of 
golden  palaces  and  beautiful  gardens,  of  wonderful  voyages  and 
adventures,  of  strange  beings  and  marvelous  transformations, 


that  take  possession  of  our  minds  and  carry  us  away  into  the 
land  of  enchantment.  The  poet  Tennyson  in  his  "  Recollections 
of  the  Arabian  Nights  "  describes  in  beautiful  words  the  impres- 
sions made  upon  him  by  those  delightful  tales : 

"  When  the  breeze  of  a  joyful  dawn  blew  free 
In  the  silken  sail  of  infancy, 
The  tide  of  time  flow'd  back  with  me, 

The  forward-flowing  tide  of  time; 
And  many  a  sheeny  summer  morn, 
Adown  the  Tigris  I  was  borne, 
By  Bagdad's  shrines  of  fretted  gold, 
High-walled  gardens  green  and  old; 
True  Mussulman  was  Land  sworn, 
For  it  was  in  the  golden  prime 
Of  good  Haroun  Alraschid. 

"Anight  my  shallop,  rustling  thro' 
The  low  and  bloomed  foliage,  drove 
The  fragrant,  glistening  deeps,  and  clove 
The  citron-shadows  in  the  blue: 
By  garden  porches  on  the  brim, 
The  costly  doors  flung  open  wide, 
Gold  glittering  thro'  lamplight  dim, 
And  broider'd  sofas  on  each  side: 

In  sooth  it  was  a  goodly  time, 

For  it  was  in  the  golden  prime 
Of  good  Haroun  Alraschid." 


STORIES 


THE  ARABIAN  NIGHTS'  ENTERTAINMENTS. 


STORY  OF  THE  PORTER,  THE  LADIES  OF  BAGDAD, 
AND  THE  THREE  CALENDERS. 

In  the  reign  of  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid  there  was  at  Bagdad 
a  porter  who  was  a  man  of  great  wit  and  humor.  One  day,  as  he 
was  at  the  place  where  he  usually  waited  for  employment,  with 
a  great  basket  before  him,  a  handsome  lady,  covered  with  a 
muslin  veil,  came  up  to  him  and  said,  with  an  agreeable  air, 
"  Porter,  take  your  basket  and  follow  me."  The  delighted 
porter  took  his  basket  immediately,  set  it  on  his  head,  and  fol- 
lowed the  lady,  exclaiming,  "  Oh,  happy  day,  oh,  day  of  good 
luck!" 

In  a  short  time  the  lady  stopped  before  the  door  of  a  house 
and  knocked.  A  Christian,  with  a  long  white  beard  opened  it, 
and  she  put  money  into  his  hand  without  speaking.  The  Chris- 
tian, who  knew  what  she  wanted,  went  in,  and  shortly  after 
brought  out  a  large  jar  of  excellent  wine.  "  Take  this  jar,"  said 
the  lady  to  the  porter,  "  and  put  it  into  the  basket."  This 
being  done,  she  told  him  to  follow  her,  and  walked  on,  the 
porter  still  exclaiming,  "  Oh,  day  of  happiness!  Oh,  day  of 
agreeable  surprise  and  joy!  " 

The  lady  next  stopped  at  a  frait  shop,  were  she  bought  ap- 
ples, apricots,  peaches,  lemons,  citrons,  oranges,  myrtles,  lilies, 

9 


IO 

jessamine,  and  some  other  plants.  She  told  the  porter  to  put 
all  these  things  into  his  basket  and  follow  her.  Passing  by  a 
butcher's  shop,  she  ordered  five  and  twenty  pounds  of  his  finest 
meat,  which  was  also  put  into  the  porter's  basket. 

At  another  shop  she  bought  cucumbers,  parsley,  walnuts, 
hazelnuts,  and  other  fruits.  The  porter,  in  putting  these  things 
into  his  basket,  said,  "  My  good  lady,  you  should  have  told  me 
that  you  intended  buying  so  many  things,  and  I  would  have 
brought  a  camel  to  carry  them,  for  if  you  buy  much  more  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  bear  the  load."  The  lady  laughed  at  the  fellow's 
humor,  and  ordered  him  still  to  follow  her.  She  then  went  to 
a  druggist's,  where  she  bought  sweet-scented  waters,  cloves, 
musk,  pepper,  ginger,  and  several  other  Indian  spices. 

The  porter's  basket  was  now  quite  full,  and  she  ordered  him 
to  follow  her.  They  walked  till  they  came  to  a  magnificent 
house,  the  front  of  which  was  adorned  with  fine  columns,  and 
a  gate  of  ivory.  There  they  stopped  and  the  lady  knocked 
softly.  Another  lady  came  to  open  the  gate,  and  all  three, 
after  passing  through  a  handsome  vestibule,  crossed  a  wide  court 
surrounded  by  an  open  gallery,  with  many  fine  apartments  all  on 
the  same  floor.  At  the  end  of  this  court  there  was  a  raised 
floor,  with  a  couch  in  the  middle,  supported  by  four  columns  of 
ebony,  enriched  with  diamonds  and  pearls  of  an  extraordinary 
size,  and  covered  with  red  satin,  with  bordering  of  Indian  gold. 
In  the  middle  of  the  court  there  was  a  large  basin  lined  with 
white  marble,  and  full  of  the  purest  water,  which  rushed  from 
the  mouth  of  a  lion  of  gilt  bronze. 

But  what  most  attracted  the  attention  of  the  porter  was  a  third 
beautiful  lady,  who  was  seated  on  the  couch.  This  lady  was 
called  Zobeide,  she  who  opened  the  door  was  called  Safie,  and 
the  name  of  the  one  who  had  been  for  the  provisions  was  Amina. 
Then  said  Zobeide,  speaking  to  the  other  two,"  Sisters,  do  you 
not  see  that  this  honest  man  is  ready  to  sink  under  his  burden  ? 
Why  do  you  not  ease  him  of  it  ?"  Amina  and  Safie  then  took  the 
basket,  the  one  before  and  the  other  behind;  Zobeide  also 


II 

assisted,  and  all  three  together  set  it  on  the  ground,  after  which 
the  beautiful  Amina  took  out  money,  and  paid  the  porter  liber- 
ally. The  porter  was  well  satisfied,  but  when  he  ought  to  have 
departed,  he  was  unwilling  to  go,  so  great  was  his  pleasure  in 
beholding  three  such  beautiful  ladies.  What  surprised  him 
most  was  that  he  saw  no  man  about  the  house. 

"  Madam,"  said  he,  addressing  Zobeide,  "  I  feel  that  I  am 
acting  rudely  in  staying  longer  than  I  ought,  but  I  hope  you 
will  pardon  me,  when  I  tell  you  that  I  am  astonished  not  to  see 
a  man  with  three  ladies  of  such  beauty;  for  you  know  that  a 
company  of  women  without  men  is  as  melancholy  as  a  company 
of  men  without  women."  The  ladies  fell  a  laughing  at  the 
porter's  remarks,  after  which  Zobeide  said  to  him,  "  Friend, 
you  presume  rather  too  much;  and  though  you  do  not  deserve 
it,  I  have  no  objection  to  telling  you  that  we  are  three  sisters 
who  attend  to  our  affairs  with  so  much  secrecy  that  no  one  knows 
anything  about  us.  A  good  author  sayc,  '  Keep  thy  own  secret, 
and  do  not  tell  it  to  any  one.  He  that  makes  his  secret  known 
is  no  longer  its  master.  If  thy  own  breast  cannot  keep  thy 
counsel,  how  canst  thou  expect  the  breast  of  another  to  be  more 
faithful?'  "Permit  me  to  say,"  answered  the  porter, 
"  that  I  also  have  read  a  maxim,  which  I  have  always  practiced: 
'  Conceal  thy  secret  only  from  such  as  are  known  to  be  talkative, 
and  who  will  abuse  thy  confidence,  but  do  not  be  afraid  to  tell 
it  to  prudent  men,  because  they  know  how  to  keep  it.'  Your 
secret,  then,  is  as  safe  with  me  as  if  locked  up  in  a  cabinet,  the 
key  of  which  is  lost,  and  the  door  sealed." 

The  porter,  notwithstanding  his  maxim,  would  most  likely 
have  been  sent  away  if  Amina  had  not  taken  his  part,  and  said  to 
Zobeide  and  Safie,  "  My  dear  sisters,  I  beg  you  to  let  him  re- 
main; he  will  afford  us  some  entertainment.  Were  I  to  repeat 
to  you  all  the  amusing  things  he  told  me  on  the  way,  you  would 
not  feel  surprised  at  my  taking  his  part. ' ' 

At  these  words  of  Amina,  the  porter  fell  on  his  knees,  kissed 
the  ground  at  her  feet,  and  raising  himself  up,  said,  "  Most 


12 

beautiful  lady,  you  began  my  good  fortune  to-day,  and  now  you 
complete  it  by  this  kind  conduct;  I  cannot  sufficiently  express 
my  thanks.  As  to  the  rest,  ladies,"  said  he,  addressing  all 
three  sisters,  "  since  you  do  me  so  great  an  honor  I  shall  always 
look  upon  myself  as  one  of  your  most  humble  slaves. ' '  When 
he  had  spoken  these  words  he  would  have  returned  the  money  he 
had  received,  but  Zobeide  ordered  him  to  keep  it.  "  What  we 
have  once  given,"  said  she,  "  we  never  take  back.  We  are 
willing  to  allow  you  to  stay  on  one  condition :  that  you  keep  our 
secret  and  do  not  ask  the  reason  for  anything  you  may  see  us  do. 
To  show  you  that  what  we  demand  is  not  a  new  thing  among  us, 
read  what  is  written  over  our  gate  on  the  inside. ' ' 

The  porter  read  these  words,  written  in  large  letters  of  gold: 
"  He  who  speaks  of  things  that  do  not  concern  him,  shall  hear 
things  that  will  not  please  him."  "  Ladies,"  answered  the  por- 
ter, "  I  promise  that  you  shall  never  hear  me  utter  a  word  about 
what  does  not  relate  to  me,  or  in  which  you  may  have  any  con- 
cern. ' ' 

Amina  then  brought  in  supper,  and  after  she  had  lighted  up 
the  room  with  tapers  made  of  aloe  wood  and  ambergris,  which 
yield  a  most  agreeable  perfume,  as  well  as  a  delicate  light,  she 
sat  down  with  her  sisters  and  the  porter.  They  began  to  eat  and 
drink,  to  sing,  and  recite  verses.  When  they  were  all  as  merry 
as  possible,  they  heard  a  loud  knocking  at  the  gate.  Sane, 
whose  business  it  was,  went  to  the  porch,  and  soon  returning, 
said  to  her  sisters,  "  There  are  three  calenders  [dervises]  at 
the  door,  all  blind  of  the  right  eye,  with  their  heads,  faces,  and 
eyebrows  shaved.  They  say  that  they  are  only  just  arrived  at 
Bagdad,  where  they  have  never  been  before;  and,  as  it  is  dark, 
and  they  know  not  where  to  lodge,  they  knocked  at  our  door 
by  chance,  and  pray  us  to  have  pity  upon  them,  and  take  them 
in.  They  care  not  where  we  put  them,  provided  they  obtain 
shelter.  They  are  young  and  handsome;  but  I  cannot,  without 
laughing,  think  of  their  amusing  and  exact  likeness  to  each 
other.  My  dear  sisters,  pray  permit  them  to  come  in;  they  will 


13 

afford  us  amusement,  and  put  us  to  little  expense,  because  they 
ask  shelter  only  for  this  night,  and  will  leave  us  as  soon  as  day 
appears. ' ' 

"  Go  then,"  said  Zobeide,  "  and  bring  them  in,  but  make 
them  read  what  is  written  over  the  gate."  Safie  ran  out,  and  in 
a  little  time  returned  with  the  three  calenders.  At  their  entrance 
they  made  a  low  bow  to  the  ladies,  who  rose  up  to  receive  them, 
told  them  that  they  were  welcome,  and  invited  them  to  sit  down. 
Then  the  ladies  served  them  with  food,  and  Safie,  being  highly 
pleased  with  them,  did  not  let  them  want  for  wine. 

When  the  calenders  had  finished  their  repast,  they  told  the 
ladies  that  they  would  entertain  them  with  a  concert  of  music 
if  there  were  any  instruments  in  the  house.  The  ladies  will- 
ingly agreed  to  the  proposal,  and  Safie  brought  a  tambourine,  a 
lute,  and  a  Persian  harp.  Each  calender  took  the  instrument  he 
liked,  and  all  three  together  began  to  play  a  tune.  The  ladies, 
who  knew  the  words  of  a  merry  song  that  suited  the  air,  joined 
the  concert  with  their  voices.  But  while  their  amusement  was 
at  its  height,  they  heard  a  loud  knocking  at  the  gate.  Safie 
arose  and  went  out  to  see  who  the  newcomers  were. 

Now  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid  to 
go  sometimes  during  the  night  through  the  city  in  disguise,  to 
discover  whether  everything  was  quiet.  On  this  evening  he 
set  out  from  his  palace,  accompanied  by  Giafar,  his  grand 
vizier,  and  Mesrour,  chief  of  the  household,  all  dressed  as 
merchants.  He  it  was  who,  in  passing  through  the  street  and 
attracted  by  the  noise  of  the  music  and  of  the  loud  laughter,  had 
ordered  his  grand  vizier  to  knock  at  the  gate,  and  to  demand 
hospitality  as  for  three  travelers  who  knew  not  where  to  seek 
shelter  for  the  night.  Safie,  having  heard  their  story,  came 
back  and  obtained  permission  of  her  sisters  to  admit  the  newly 
arrived  strangers. 

The  caliph  and  his  attendants,  upon  their  entrance,  bowed 
politely  to  the  ladies  and  to  the  calenders.  The  ladies  returned 
the  salute  of  the  supposed  merchants.  Then  Zobeide,  as  the 


14 

chief,  addressed  them  and  said,  "  You  are  welcome.  But  while 
you  are  here  you  must  have  eyes  but  no  tongues;  you  must  not 
ask  the  reason  of  anything  you  may  see,  or  speak  of  anything 
that  does  not  concern  you,  lest  you  may  hear  and  see  what  will 
by  no  means  please  you." 

"  Madam,"  replied  the  vizier,  "you  shall  be  obeyed.  It  is 
enough  for  us  to  attend  to  our  own  business,  without  meddling 
with  what  does  not  concern  us."  After  this  each  seated  him- 
self, and  the  conversation  became  general.  The  caliph  admired 
the  beauty,  elegance,  and  agreeable  manners  of  the  ladies,  and 
the  appearance  of  the  three  calenders,  all  blind  of  the  right  eye, 
surprised  him  very  much.  He  wished  to  learn  the  cause  of  this, 
but  the  conditions  the  ladies  had  imposed  upon  him  and  his 
companions  prevented  any  questions. 

The  guests  continued  their  conversation,  but  after  a  short 
time  Zobeide  rose  up,  and  taking  Amina  by  the  hand,  said  to 
her,  "  Come,  sister,  the  company  shall  not  prevent  us  from  doing 
as  we  have  always  been  accustomed."  Amina,  who  perfectly 
understood  what  her  sister  meant,  got  up,  and  took  away  the 
dishes,  tables,  glasses,  and  also  the  instruments  on  which  the 
calenders  had  played.  Sane  snuffed  the  candles,  and  added 
more  aloe  wood  and  ambergris.  Having  done  this,  she  re- 
quested the  three  calenders  to  sit  on  a  sofa  on  one  side,  and  the 
caliph  and  his  companions  on  the  other.  "  Get  up,"  said  she 
then  to  the  porter,  looking  at  him,  "  and  be  ready  to  assist  in 
whatever  we  want  you. ' ' 

A  little  while  after,  Amina  came  in  with  a  sort  of  seat,  which 
she  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  She  then  went  to  the 
door  of  a  closet,  and  having  opened  it,  she  made  a  sign  to  the 
porter  to  approach.  "  Come  and  assist  me,"  she  cried.  He 
obeyed,  and  went  in  with  her.  They  returned  in  a  moment 
after,  followed  by  two  black  dogs,  each  of  them  secured  by  a 
collar  and  chain,  and  both  appearing  as  if  they  had  been 
severely  whipped  with  rods.  The  porter  brought  them  into  the 
middle  of  the  apartment. 


15 

Zobeide,  now  rising  from  her  seat  between  the  calenders  and 
the  caliph,  moved  very  gravely  towards  the  porter.  ' '  Come, ' ' 
said  she,  heaving  a  deep  sigh,  "  let  us  perform  our  duty."  She 
then  tucked  up  her  sleeves  above  her  elbows,  and  receiving  a 
rod  from  Safie,  "Porter,"  said  she,  "  bring  one  of  the  dogs  to 
me. ' '  The  porter  did  as  he  was  commanded.  Upon  this  the 
dog  began  to  howl  in  a  pitiful  manner,  but  Zobeide,  having  no 
regard  to  its  cries  that  resounded  through  the  house,  whipped 
the  animal 'with  the  rod  till  she  was  out  of  breath.  Then 
throwing  down  the  rod,  she  lifted  the  dog  in  her  arms,  wiped 
the  tears  from  its  eyes,  kissed  it,  and  ordered  the  porter  to  carry 
it  away  and  bring  the  other.  She  whipped  the  second  dog  in 
the  same  manner;  she  then  wept  over  it,  dried  its  tears,  kissed  it, 
and  returned  it  to  the  porter. 

The  three  calenders,  and  the  caliph  and  his  companions,  were 
extremely  surprised  at  this.  They  could  not  understand  why 
Zobeide,  after  having  beaten  the  two  dogs,  should  weep  with 
them,  wipe  off  their  tears,  and  kiss  them.  They  muttered  among 
themselves;  and  the  caliph,  longing  to  be  informed  of  the 
cause  of  so  strange  a  proceeding,  could  not  forbear  making  signs 
to  the  vizier  to  ask  the  question.  The  vizier  turned  his  head 
another  way,  but  being  pressed  by  repeated  signs,  he  answered 
that  it  was  not  yet  time  to  satisfy  the  caliph's  curiosity. 

Zobeide  sat  for  some  minutes  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
where  she  had  whipped  the  two  dogs,  to  recover  herself  of  her 
fatigue.  Then  Safie  called  to  her,  "  Dear  sister,  will  you  not 
be  pleased  to  return  to  your  place,  that  I  also  may  act  my  part  ?  ' ' 
"Yes,  sister,"  replied  Zobeide;  and  she  went  and  sat  down 
upon  the  sofa,  having  the  caliph,  Giafar,  and  Mesrour,  on  her 
right  hand,  and  the  three  calenders,  with  the  porter,  on  her  left. 

The  whole  company  now  remained  silent  for  some  time.  At 
last  Safie,  sitting  on  a  chair  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  said  to 
Amina,  "  Dear  sister,  I  beg  you  to  rise;  you  know  what  I  would 
say."  Amina  rose,  and  went  into  another  closet  near  to  that  in 
\\hich  the  dogs  were,  and  brought  out  a  case  covered  with  yel- 


i6 

low  satin,  richly  embroidered  with  gold  and  green  silk.  She 
opened  the  case,  and  took  from  it  a  lute,  which  she  gave  to  Sane. 
After  some  time  spent  in  tuning  it,  Sane  began  to  play,  and,  ac- 
companying the  instalment  with  her  voice,  sang  a  song  about 
the  pain  that  absence  causes  to  lovers.  Having  sung  with  much 
sweetness,  she  said  to  Amina,  "  Pray  take  it,  sister,  for  my  voice 
fails  me;  oblige  the  company  with  a  tune  and  song  in  my 
stead."  "  Very  willingly,"  replied  Amina,  who,  taking  the 
lute  from  her  sister  Safie,  sat  down  in  her  place.  She  sang 
most  delightfully,  but  no  sooner  had  she  finished  than  Safie 
fell  upon  the  floor  in  a  swoon,  and  on  opening  her  dress 
to  give  her  air,  they  saw  that  her  breast  was  covered  with  fearful 
scars. 

Whilst  Zobeide  and  Amina  ran  to  help  their  sister,  the  caliph 
inquired  of  one  of  the  calenders,  "Can  you  not  inform  me  about 
these  two  black  dogs,  and  the .  lady  who  appears  to  have  been 
so  illtreated  ?  "  "Sir,"  said  the  calender,  "we  never  were 
here  before  now,  and  we  entered  the  house  only  a  few  minutes 
sooner  than  you  did."  This  increased  the  astonishment  of  the 
caliph.  "  Perhaps,"  said  he,  "  the  man  who  is  with  you  can 
give  us  some  information  ?  ' '  The  calender  made  signs  to  the 
porter  to  draw  near,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew  why  the  black 
dogs  had  been  beaten,  and  why  Safie  was  so  scarred.  "  Sir," 
replied  the  porter,  "if  you  know  nothing  of  the  matter,  I  know 
as  little  as  you  do.  I  never  was  in  this  house  until  now;  and 
if  you  are  surprised  to  see  me  here,  I  am  as  much  so  to  find  you." 

The  caliph,  more  and  more  astonished  at  all  he  heard,  de- 
termined that  he  would  have  an  explanation  of  these  mysterious 
proceedings.  But  the  question  was,  who  should  first  make  the 
inquiry  ?  The  caliph  endeavored  to  persuade  the  calenders  to 
speak  first,  but  they  excused  themselves.  At  last  they  all 
agreed  that  the  porter  should  be  the  man.  While  they  were 
consulting  how  to  put  the  question,  Safie  having  recovered  from 
her  fainting,  Zobeide  approached  them,  and  inquired,  "  What 
are  you  talking  of  ?  What  is  your  contest  about  ?  " 


The  porter  then  addressed  her  as  follows:  "  These  gentlemen, 
madam,  beg  you  to  explain  why  you  wept  with  the  dogs,  after 
having  treated  them  so  ill,  and  how  it  has  happened  that  the 
breast  of  the  lady  who  fainted  is  covered  with  scars  ?  ' ' 

Hearing  the  porter's  words  Zobeide  put  on  a  very  stern  look, 
and  turning  towards  the  rest  of  the  company,  said,  "Is  it 
true,  gentlemen,  that  you  told  him  to  ask  me  these  questions  ?  ' ' 
All  of  them,  except  the  vizier  Giafar,  who  spoke  not  a  word, 
answered,  "  Yes."  Zobeide  then  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  anger, 
"  Before  we  granted  you  the  favor  of  receiving  you  into  our 
house,  we  imposed  the  condition  that  you  should  not  speak  of 
anything  that  did  not  concern  you,  lest  you  might  hear  that  which 
would  not  please  you.  Yet,  after  having  received  our  hos- 
pitality, you  break  your  promise."  As  she  spoke  these  words, 
she  gave  three  stamps  with  her  foot,  and  clapping  her  hands  as 
often  together,  cried,  "  Come  quickly  !  "  Upon  this  a  door 
flew  open,  and  seven  black  slaves  rushed  in;  each  one  seized 
a  man,  threw  him  on  the  ground,  and  dragged  him  into  the 
middle  of  the  room,  holding  a  scimitar  over  his  head. 

We  may  easily  imagine  how  alarmed  the  caliph  was.  He  now 
repented  that  he  had  not  taken  the  advice  of  his  vizier,  seeing 
that  through  their  foolish  curiosity  they  were  in  danger  of  losing 
their  lives.  But  at  this  point  one  of  the  slaves  said  to  Zobeide 
and  her  sisters,  "  Would  it  riot  be  right  to  question  them 
first?"  Then  Zobeide,  with  a  grave  voice,  said  to  them, 
"  Answer  me,  and  tell  who  you  are,  otherwise  you  shall  not  live 
one  moment  longer.  I  cannot  believe  that  you  are  honest  men, 
or  persons  of  distinction  in  your  own  countries;  for  if  you  were 
you  would  have  been  more  modest  and  more  respectful  to  us. ' ' 

The  caliph  was  angry  to  find  his  life  depending  upon  the 
command  of  a  woman;  but  he  began  to  have  some  hope 
when  she  asked  who  they  all  were;  for  he  thought  that  she 
would  not  take  away  his  life  when  she  knew  who  he  was.  He 
therefore  whispered  to  his  vizier,  telling  him  to  say  at  once  that 
he  was  the  caliph.  But  the  wise  vizier,  being  more  prudent 


ARABIAN   NIGHTS  —  2 


iS 

resolved  to  save  his  master's  honor,  and  not  let  the  company 
know  the  affront  he  had  brought  upon  himself  by  his  own  im- 
prudence; and  so  he  answered,  "  We  have  what  we  deserve." 
But  if  he  had  intended  to  speak  as  the  caliph  commanded  him, 
Zobeide  would  not  have  allowed  him  time;  for  turning  to  the 
calenders,  and  seeing  them  all  blind  of  one  eye,  she  asked  if  they 
were  brothers.  One  of  them  answered,  "  No,  madam,  except 
that  we  are  calenders ;  that  is  to  say,  we  observe  the  same  rules. ' ' 
"  Were  you  born  blind  of  the  right  eye  ?  ' '  continued  she.  "  No, 
madam,"  answered  he;  "I  lost  my  eye  in  such  a  surprising 
adventure  that  it  would  be  instructive  to  every  one  to  hear  it." 
Zobeide  put  the  same  question  to  the  others  in  their  turn, 
and  the  last  replied,  "  Pray,  madam,  show  some  pity  on  us,  for 
we  are  all  the  sons  of  kings.  Although  we  have  never  seen  each 
other  before  this  evening,  we  have  had  sufficient  time  to  become 
acquainted  with  this  circumstance;  and  I  can  assure  you  that 
the  kings,  our  fathers,  have  been  talked  of  in  the  world." 

Hearing  this,  Zobeide  became  less  angry,  and  said  to  the 
slaves,  "  Give  them  their  liberty  awhile,  but  remain  where 
you  are.  Those  who  tell  us  their  history,  and  the  reason  of 
their  coming,  do  them  no  hurt,  let  them  go  where  they  please, 
but  do  not  spare  those  who  refuse  to  give  us  that  satisfaction. ' ' 

The  three  calenders,  the  caliph,  the  grand  vizier  Giafar,  the 
captain  of  his  guards,  and  the  porter,  were  all  in  the  middle  of 
the  hall,  seated  upon  a  carpet  in  the  presence  of  the  three 
ladies,  who  reclined  upon  a  sofa,  and  the  slaves  stood  ready  to 
do  whatever  their  mistresses  should  command. 

The  porter  spoke  first,  and  briefly  related  the  adventures  of  the 
morning  with  Amina,  and  the  kindness  to  him  of  herself  and  her 
sisters  in  the  evening,  which  he  declared  to  be  the  whole  of  his 
history. 

When  he  had  concluded,  Zobeide  said  to  him,  "  Save  thyself 
and  begone,  and  never  let  us  see  thee  again."  "  I  beg  of  you, 
madam,"  replied  he,  "to  let  me  remain  a  little  longer.  It 
would  be  unfair  that  I  should  not  hear  their  histories,  after  they 


19 

have  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  mine. ' '  So  saying  he  took  his 
place  at  the  end  of  the  sofa,  delighted  at  finding  himself  free 
from  the  danger  which  had  so  much  alarmed  him.  One  of  tha 
calenders  then  told  his  story  as  follows,  addressing  Zobeide: 


STORY  OF  THE  FIRST  CALENDER. 

Madam,  I  am  the  son  of  a  sultan.  My  father  had  a  brother 
who  reigned  over  a  neighboring  kingdom.  His  son,  my  cousin, 
and  I  were  nearly  the  same  age.  I  went  regularly  every  year  to 
see  my  uncle,  at  whose  court  I  amused  myself  for  a  month  or 
two,  and  then  returned  home. 

On  one  of  these  occasions  my  cousin  said  to  me,  "Cousin, 
I  have  need  of  your  assistance  in  an  affair  of  interest  to  me,  and 
I  beg  that  you  will  not  oppose  me  in  that  which  I  desire  to  do. ' ' 
I  replied,  "  I  am  altogether  at  your  service."  Then  he  went 
away  for  a  little  while,  and  returned  followed  by  a  woman  decked 
with  ornaments,  and  wearing  a  dress  of  extraordinary  value. 
He  looked  towards  me,  while  the  woman  stood  behind  him,  and 
said,  "  Take  this  woman  and  go  before  me  to  the  burial  ground," 
and  he  described  it  to  me,  and  I  knew  it.  He  then  added, 
"  Enter  the  burial  ground,  and  wait  for  me." 

I  could  not  oppose  him,  or  refuse  to  comply  with  his  request, 
on  account  of  my  promise,  so  I  took  the  woman,  and  went  with 
her  to  the  burial  ground.  When  we  had  sat  there  a  short  time, 
my  cousin  came,  bearing  a  basin  of  water,  and  a  bag  containing 
some  plaster,  and  a  small  adze.  Going  to  a  tomb  in  the  midst 
of  the  burial  ground,  he  took  the  adze  and  separated  the  stones, 
which  he  placed  on  one  side.  He  then  dug  up  the  earth  with 
the  adze  and  uncovered  a  flat  stone,  of  the  size  of  a  small  door, 
under  which  there  was  a  staircase.  Having  done  this,  he  made 
a  sign  to  the  woman,  and  she  descended  the  stairs.  He  then 
said  to  me,  "  Cousin,  complete  thy  kindness,  when  I  have  de- 
scended into  this  place,  by  pulling  back  the  trapdoor  and  the 


2O 

earth  above  it  as  they  were  before.  Then  take  this  plaster 
which  is  in  the  bag,  and  this  water  which  is  in  the  basin,  and  mix 
them  together,  and  plaster  the  stones  of  the  tomb  as  they  were, 
so  that  no  man  may  know  it. ' ' 

As  soon  as  he  disappeared  from  before  my  eyes,  I  replaced 
the  trapdoor,  and  did  as  he  had  ordered  me,  until  the  tomb  was 
restored  to  the  state  in  which  it  was  at  first.  Then  I  returned 
to  the  palace  of  my  uncle,  who  was  absent  on  a  hunting  excur- 
sion. I  slept  that  night,  and  when  the  morning  came,  I  thought 
upon  what  had  occurred  between  me  and  my  cousin,  and  re- 
pented of  what  I  had  done  for  him.  I  then  went  out  to  the 
burial  ground  and  searched  for  the  tomb,  but  could  not  discover 
it.  I  searched  until  the  approach  of  night,  and,  not  finding  if, 
returned  again  to  the  palace.  I  neither  ate  nor  drank,  my  heart 
was  so  troubled  about  my  cousin,  not  knowing  what  had  become 
of  him.  I  passed  the  night  sorrowfully  until  the  morning,  and 
went  again  to  the  burial  ground,  and  I  searched  among  the 
tombs,  but  could  not  discover  what  I  looked  for.  Thus  I 
searched  seven  days  without  success. 

Then  T  resolved  upon  returning  home,  and  so  I  set  out  at 
once  for  my  father's  capital.  But  when  I  arrived  I  found,  con- 
trary to  the  custom,  a  numerous  guard  at  the  gate  of  the  palace. 
They  surrounded  me  as  I  entered,  and  the  commanding  officer 
said,  "  Prince,  the  army  has  made  the  grand  vizier  sultan,  instead 
of  your  father,  who  is  dead,  and  I  take  you  prisoner  in  the  name 
of  the  new  sultan."- 

This  rebel  vizier  had  always  hated  me.  When  I  was  a  boy  I 
loved  to  shoot  with  a  crossbow,  and  one  day,  on  the  terrace  of  the 
palace,  a  bird  happening  to  fly  by,  I  shot  and  missed  him.  But 
the  arrow  hit  the  vizier,  who  was  taking  the  air  upon  the  terrace 
of  his  own  house,  and  put  out  one  of  his  eyes.  He  never  forgave 
me,  and  now  that  he  had  me  in  his  power,  he  came  to  me  like 
a  mad  man,  and,  thrusting  his  finger  into  my  right  eye,  pulled  it 
out,  and  thus  I  became  blind  of  one  eye. 

But  his  cruelty  did  not  stop  here.     He  commanded  the  exe- 


21 

cutioner  to  cut  off  my  head,  and  leave  me  to  be  devoured  by 
birds  of  prey.  The  executioner  conveyed  me  to  the  place  of  exe- 
cution to  carry  out  this  barbarous  sentence,  but  by  my  prayers  and 
tears  I  moved  the  man  to  pity,  and  he  said,  "  Go,  get  you  speed- 
ily out  of  the  kingdom,  and  never  return,  or  you  will  destroy 
yourself  and  me."  I  thanked  him,  and,  as  soon  as  I  was  left 
alone,  comforted  myself  for  the  loss  of  my  eye  by  considering 
that  I  had  escaped  a  much  greater  evil. 

Then  I  went  to  my  uncle's  capital,  and  told  him  of  what  had 
happened  to  my  father,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  I  had  lost 
my  eye.  He  wept  bitterly,  and  said,  "  Thou  hast  added  to  my 
trouble  and  my  grief,  for  thy  cousin  has  been  lost  for  some  days, 
and  I  know  not  what  has  happened  to  him,  and  no  one  can  tell 
me."  Then  he  wept  again,  until  he  became  insensible;  and 
when  he  recovered,  he  said,  "  O  my  boy,  the  loss  of  thine  eye 
is  better  than  the  loss  of  thy  life. ' ' 

Upon  this  I  could  no  longer  keep  silence  about  his  son,  my 
cousin,  so  I  informed  him  of  all  that  had  happened  to  him. 
On  hearing  my  story  he  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  said,  "  Show 
me  the  tomb."  "  O  my  uncle,"  I  replied,  "  I  know  not  where 
it  is,  for  I  went  afterwards  several  times  to  search  for  it,  and 
could  not  find  the  place."  We,  however,  went  together  to  the 
burial  ground,  and,  looking  to  the  right  and  left,  I  discovered 
it,  and  both  I  and  my  uncle  rejoiced.  I  then  entered  the  tomb 
with  him,  and  when  we  had  removed  the  earth,  and  lifted  up  the 
trapdoor,  we  descended  fifty  steps. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,  there  issued  forth 
upon  us  a  smoke  which  blinded  our  eyes.  Then  my  uncle  pro- 
nounced these  words:  "  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in 
God,  the  High,  the  Great."  After  this  we  went  on,  and  soon 
found  ourselves  in  a  room  filled  with  flour  and  grain  and  various 
eatables,  and,  looking  around,  my  uncle  found  his  son  and  the 
woman  who  had  descended  with  him  turned  into  black  charcoal, 
as  if  they  had  been  thrown  into  a  pit  of  fire.  When  he  saw 
this  he  was  sorely  distressed,  and  he  said  to  me,  "  O  son  of  my 


22 

brother,  this  son  of  mine  was  in  love  with  his  foster  sister,  and 
I  reproved  him  severely,  and  separated  him  from  her,  and  her 
from  him.  And  when  my  son  saw  that  I  had  separated  him, 
he  secretly  made  this  place,  and  they  came  and  concealed  them- 
selves here,  and  now  they  are  punished  for  their  disobedience. ' ' 
He  then  wept,  and  I  wept  with  him,  and  he  said  to  me,  "  Thou 
art  my  son  in  his  stead. ' ' 

We  then  ascended,  and,  having  replaced  the  trapdoor  and  the 
earth  above  it,  and  fixed  the  tomb  in  its  former  "state,  we  re- 
turned to  the  palace.  But  we  had  hardly  been  seated  when  we 
heard  the  sounds  of  drums  and  trumpets,  and  the  air  was  filled 
with  dust  raised  by  horses'  hoofs.  Our  minds  were  troubled, 
not  knowing  what  had  happened,  and  soon  a  messenger  came  to 
the  king  and  told  him,  "  The  vizier  of  thy  brother  has  slain 
him,  and  his  soldiers  and  guards,  and  he  has  come  with  his 
army  to  take  this  city,  and  the  inhabitants,  being  unable  to  re- 
sist, have  submitted  to  him."  Then  I  said  within  myself,  "  If 
I  fall  into  his  hands  he  will  slay  me."  Grief  overwhelmed  me, 
and  I  scarcely  knew  what  to  do,  for  if  I  went  out  of  doors  in  my 
usual  dress,  the  people  of  the  city  would  know  me,  and  the 
troops  of  my  father  would  kill  me. 

Then  I  caused  my  beard  and  my  eyebrows  to  be  shaved,  and 
putting  on  a  calender's  habit,  I  passed,  unknown  by  any,  out  of 
the  city.  I  avoided  the  towns  till  I  arrived  at  the  empire  of  the 
renowned  caliph,  Haroun  Alraschid,  when  I  ceased  to  fear.  I 
resolved  to  come  to  Bagdad,  and  throw  myself  at  the  feet  of  that 
great  king,  and  beg  his  help.  After  a  journey  of  several  months, 
I  arrived  yesterday  at  the  gate  of  this  city,  into  which  I  entered 
at  dusk.  As  I  entered,  another  calender  came  up  and  saluted 
me,  and  I  saluted  him.  "  You  appear,"  said  I,  "  to  be  a 
stranger,  as  I  am."  "  You  are  not  mistaken,"  replied  he.  He 
had  no  sooner  said  this,  than  a  third  calender  overtook  us.  He 
saluted  us,  and  told  us  he  was  a  stranger,  newly  come  to  Bagdad. 
Then  we  joined  together  as  brethren,  resolving  not  to  separate 
from  one  another. 


23 

It  was  now  late,  and  we  knew  not  where  to  seek  a  lodging  in 
the  city.  But  good  fortune  having  brought  us  to  your  gate,  we 
made  bold  to  knock,  and  you  have  received  us  with  so  much 
kindness  that  we  know  not  how  to  thank  you.  This,  madam, 
is  how  I  lost  my  right  eye,  and  how  I  came  to  be  with  you  to- 
night. 

"  It  is  enough,"  said  Zobeide;  "  you  may  retire  to  what  place 
you  see  fit. ' '  The  calender  begged  permission  to  stay  until  he 
had  heard  the  stories  of  his  two  comrades,  and  of  the  three  other 
persons  in  company.  Then  the  second  calender  began  his  story, 
which  he  told  as  follows: 


STORY  OF  THE  SECOND  CALENDER. 

You  must  know,  madam,  that  I  am  a  prince  by  birth,  for  I  am 
the  son  of  a  sultan.  In  my  youth  I  had  good  ability  and  my 
father  gave  me  an  excellent  education.  As  soon  as  I  was  able 
to  read  and  write  I  learned  the  Koran  from  beginning  to  end 
by  heart,  and  all  the  sayings  of  our  prophet,  and  the  works  of 
poets.  I  studied  astronomy  and  all  the  other  sciences,  and 
was  skilled  in  all  such  exercises  as  were  proper  for  a  prince  to 
practice.  But  one  thing  I  was  particularly  fond  of,  and  that  was 
penmanship.  In  this  I  excelled  all  the  celebrated  penmen  of 
our  kingdom. 

The  fame  of  my  learning  reached  the  emperor  of  Hindostan, 
who  sent  an  ambassador  with  rich  presents  to  my  father,  and  in- 
vited me  to  his  court.  My  father  having  consented,  I  set  out 
with  the  ambassador. 

When  about  a  month  on  our  journey,  we  saw  in  the  distance  an 
immense  cloud  of  dust,  and  soon  afterward  we  saw  fifty  fierce 
horsemen,  sons  of  the  desert,  well  armed.  They  rode  forward, 
pointing  their  spears  as  if  to  attack  us,  and,  not  being  able  to 
fight  them,  we  told  them  we  were  ambassadors  of  the  sultan  of 
India.  But  the  sons  of  the  desert  answered,  "  Why  do  you  wish 


24 

us  to  respect  the  sultan,  your  master  ?  We  are  not  his  subjects. ' ' 
They  then  attacked  us  on  all  sides.  They  killed  some  of  our  men 
and  the  rest  fled.  I  also  fled  after  I  had  received  a  severe  wound. 

I  then  went  on  without  knowing  where  I  was  going,  and  I 
journeyed  till  I  came  to  a  cave  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain.  Here 
I  rested  for  the  night.  In  the  morning  I  started  out  again,  and 
traveled  till  I  came  to  a  large  town.  The  winter  with  its  cold 
had  passed  away,  and  spring  with  its  flowers  had  come,  and  I 
rejoiced  at  arriving  there,  as  I  was  wearied  with  my  long  journey. 
Being  a  stranger  I  knew  not  where  to  turn  my  steps  in  the  town, 
but  seeing  a  tailor  working  in  his  shop,  I  went  up  to  him  and 
spoke  to  him.  He  made  me  sit  down  by  him,  and  asked  me 
what  had  brought  me  there.  I  told  him  all  that  had  happened 
to  me,  and  who  I  was.  He  listened  to  me  with  attention,  and 
brought  me  something  to  eat.  He  also  offered  me  lodging  in  his 
house,  which  I  accepted. 

Some  days  after  my  arrival,  the  tailor  asked  me  if  I  knew 
any  trade  by  which  I  could  earn  a  living.  I  told  him  that  I  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  laws,  that  I  was  a  poet  and,  above  all, 
that  I  could  write  well.  "  None  of  these  things  will  be  of  any 
use  to  you  here,"  he  said.  "  If  you  will  take  my  advice  you  will 
get  a  short  jacket,  and  as  you  are  strong  and  in  good  health,  you 
may  go  into  the  neighboring  forest  and  cut  wood  for  fuel. 
You  may  then  go  and  sell  it  in  the  market.  By  these  means  you 
will  be  able  to  wait  till  better  fortune  comes  for  you. ' ' 

The  next  day  the  tailor  brought  me  a  rope,  a  hatchet,  and  a 
short  jacket,  and  recommended  me  to  some  poor  people  who 
gained  their  bread  in  the  same  manner,  that  they  might  take  me 
into  their  company.  They  conducted  me  to  the  wood,  and  the 
first  day  I  brought  in  as  much  upon  my  head  as  was  worth  half 
a  piece  of  gold.  I  gained  a  good  sum  of  money  in  a  short  time, 
and  repaid  the  tailor  what  he  had  lent  me. 

I  continued  this  way  of  living  for  a  whole  year.  One  day, 
having  by  chance  gone  farther  into  the  wood  than  usual,  I  hap- 
pened to  come  to  a  pleasant  spot,  where  I  began  to  cut;  and  in 


25 

pulling  up  the  root  of  a  tree  I  saw  an  iron  ring,  fastened  to  a 
trapdoor  of  the  same  metal.  I  took  away  the  earth  that  covered 
it,  and,  lifting  it  up,  discovered  a  flight  of  stairs,  which  I  de- 
scended with  my  ax  in  my  hand. 

\Yhen  I  reached  the  bottom,  I  found  myself  in  a  palace,  which 
was  as  well  lighted  as  if  it  had  been  above  ground  in  the  open 
air.  I  went  forward  along  a  gallery  supported  by  pillars  of 
jasper,  the  base  and  capitals  being  of  massy  gold.  Then  I  saw 
a  lady  of  noble  appearance  and  great  beauty  coming  towards  me. 
I  hastened  to  meet  her;  and  as  I  was  making  a  low  bow,  she 
asked  me,  "  Are  you  a  man  or  a  genie  ?  "  "A  man,  madam," 
said  I.  "By  what  adventure,"  said  she,  "  have  you  come  to  this 
place  ?  I  have  lived  here  twenty-five  years,  and  you  are  the  first 
man  I  have  seen  in  that  time." 

Her  words  sounded  sweetly  to  me,  and  I  answered,  "  God  has 
brought  me  to  thy  abode,  and  I  hope  will  now  put  an  end  to  my 
trouble  and  grief."  Then  I  told  her  my  story  from  beginning 
to  end.  "  Alas,  prince,"  she  replied,  "  the  most. delightful  spots 
cannot  give  us  pleasure  when  we  are  there  against  our  will.  But 
now  hear  my  story. 

"I  am  a  princess,  the  daughter  of  a  sultan,  the  king  of  the 
Ebony  Island.  The  king,  my  father,  chose  for  my  husband  a 
prince,  who.  was  my  cousin.  But  on  the  very  night  of  the  mar- 
riage, in  the  midst  of  our  rejoicings,  a  genie  took  me  away,  and, 
soaring  with  me  through  the  air,  carried  me  to  this  place.  I  have 
passed  twenty-five  years  here,  where  the  genie  provides  for  me 
everything  that  I  require.  Every  ten  days  he  pays  me  a  visit. 
But  if  I  wish  to  see  him  at  any  other  time,  or  if  I  want  for  any- 
thing, I  have  only  to  touch  with  my  hand  these  two  lines  which 
are  written  on  this  door.  The  lines  are  a  talisman,  or  charm,  and 
when  they  are  touched  the  genie  appears.  It  is  now  four  days 
since  he  was  here,  and  I  have  to  wait  six  days  more  before  he 
again  makes  his  appearance.  You  may  remain,  therefore,  five 
days  with  me,  if  it  be  agreeable  to  you  to  keep  me  company, 
and  I  will  endeavor  to  entertain  you  pleasantly." 


26 

The  princess  then  conducted  me  to  a  bath,  and  when  I  came 
out  of  it,  instead  of  my  own  clothes,  I  found  a  costly  and  beauti- 
ful robe  prepared  for  me.  Then  she  covered  a  table  with  several 
dishes  of  delicate  meats,  and  we  ate  together,  and  passed  the 
evening  in  great  happiness. 

The  next  day  I  said  to  her,  "Fair  princess,  you  have  been  too 
long  buried  alive  in  this  underground  palace.  Pray  rise,  follow 
me,  and  enjoy  the  light  of  day,  of  which  you  have  been  deprived 
so  many  years.  Have  no  fear  of  the  genie.  For  my  part,  I  fear 
him  so  little  that  I  will  destroy  his  talisman,  with  the  inscrip- 
tion that  is  upon  it.  Let  him  come;  and  no  matter  how  power- 
ful he  is  I  will  defy  him. ' '  On  saying  this  I  gave  the  door  a 
violent  kick,  and  broke  the  talisman  in  pieces. 

Immediately  the  whole  palace  shook  as  if  ready  to  fall  to 
atoms,  and  the  walls  opened  to  give  a  passage  to  the  genie.  The 
princess  was  greatly  frightened,  and  at  her  earnest  request  I  took 
to  flight.  Hastily  putting  on  my  own  dress,  I  ascended  the 
stairs  leading  to  the  forest,  and  reached  the  town  in  safety. 
The  tailor  was  very  glad  to  see  me.  But  in  my  haste  I  had  left 
my  hatchet  and  cord  in  the  princess's  palace.  Shortly  after  my 
return,  while  sitting  in  my  room  thinking  over  this  loss,  and  the 
cruel  treatment  which  the  princess  would  receive  from  the  genie, 
the  tailor  came  to  me  and  said,  "  In  the  shop  is  a  stranger  who 
asks  for  thee,  and  he  has  thy  ax  and  cord.  He  came  with  them 
to  the  woodcutters,  and  said  to  them,  '  I  went  out  at  the  time  of 
morning  prayer,  and  found  these,  and  know  not  to  whom  .they 
belong;  can  ye  direct  me  to  their  owner  ?  '  The  woodcutters 
directed  him  to  thee;  he  is  sitting  in  my  shop;  so  go  out  to  him 
and  thank  him,  and  take  thy  ax  and  thy  cord. ' '  On  hearing  these 
words  I  turned  pale,  and  trembled,  and  while  in  this  state  the 
floor  of  my  chamber  opened,  and  the  stranger  appeared  out  of 
the  opening,  and  behold  he  was  the  genie !  He  grasped  me  by 
the  middle,  dragged  me  out  of  the  room,  and,  mounting  into 
the  air,  carried  me  up  to  the  skies  with  extraordinary  swiftness. 
He  descended  again  to  the  earth,  and  with  a  stamp  of  his  foot 


27 

he  caused  the  ground  to  open.  Then  I  found  myself  in  the 
enchanted  palace,  before  the  fair  princess  of  the  Isle  of 
Ebony. 

The  genie  now  drew  his  sword  and  declared  that  he  would  give 
life  and  liberty  to  either  of  us  who  would  cut  off  the  head  of 
the  other.  We  both  refused,  saying  that  we  would  die  rather 
than  do  such  a  cruel  thing.  "  I  see,"  said  the  genie,  "  that 
you  both  defy  me,  but  both  of  you  shall  suffer  for  it. "  Then  the 
monster  slew  the  princess.  I  fainted  at  the  sight.  When  I 
came  to  myself  again  I  expected  that  he  would  immediately  put 
me  to  death,  but  instead  of  killing  me  he  said,  "  That  is  how 
genies  punish  those  who  offend  them.  Thou  art  the  least  to 
blame,  and  I  will  content  myself  with  changing  thee  into  a  dog, 
an  ape,  a  lion,  or  a  bird;  take  thy  choice  of  any  of  these;  I  will 
leave  it  to  thyself." 

These  words  gave  me  hope  of  being  able  to  appease  his  anger, 
and  so  I  said,  "  O  genie,  since  you  will  not  take  away  my  life, 
pardon  me  freely,  as  a  certain  good  man  pardoned  one  who  envied 
him."  "  And  how  was  that  ?  "  asked  the  genie.  I  answered  as 
follows : 


STORY  OF  THE  ENVIOUS  MAN  AND  OF  HIM  WHO  WAS 
ENVIED. 

In  a  certain  town  there  was  a  man  who  had  a  neighbor  that 
envied  him,  and  the  more  the  neighbor  envied  him  the  more  God 
gave  him  prosperity.  This  continued  for  a  long  time  until  the 
neighbor  began  to  trouble  him  so  much  that  the  good  man  re- 
solved to  go  and  live  elsewhere.  He  therefore  sold  his  house, 
and  went  to  another  city  at  no  great  distance,  and  bought  a 
house  near  a  well  that  was  no  longer  in  use.  The  good  man  then 
put  on  the  dress  of  a  dervise,  and  in  a  short  time  he  formed  a 
society  of  dervises.  He  soon  came  to  be  known  for  his  virtue, 
by  which  he  gained  the  respect  of  many  persons,  rich  and  poor. 


28 

People  came  from  afar  to  ask  his  prayers,  and  all  who  visited 
him  told  of  the  blessings  they  received  through  his  means. 

Now  the  envious  man,  hearing  this,  was  jealous  and  angry,  and 
he  resolved  to  ruin  the  good  dervise.  So  he  went  to  the  new 
convent  of  dervises,  of  which  his  former  neighbor  was  the  head. 
The  good  dervise  received  him  with  tokens  of  friendship.  'Then 
the  envious  man  told  him  that  he  had  come  to  speak  with  him 
on  business  of  importance,  which  he  could  do  only  in  private; 
"  and  that  nobody  may  hear  us,"  he  said,  "  let  us  take  a  walk 
in  your  court,  and  as  night  is  drawing  on,  command  your  dervises 
to  retire  to  their  cells. ' '  The  chief  of  the  dervises  did  as  he  was 
requested.  When  the  envious  man  saw  that  he  was  alone  with 
the  other,  he  began  to  talk  to  him,  walking  side  by  side  in  the 
court,  till  he  saw  his  opportunity.  Then,  getting  the  dervise 
near  the  brink  of  the  well,  he  gave  him  a  thrust,  and  pushed 
him  into  it. 

Now  this  old  well  was  inhabited  by  genies,  which  was  lucky 
for  the  dervise,  for  they  received  and  supported  him,  and  carried 
him  to  the  bottom,  so  that  he  got  no  hurt.  The  dervise  won- 
dered very  much  at  this.  He  could  not  understand  how  he  had  got 
to  the  bottom  without  being  hurt,  for  he  neither  saw  nor  felt  any- 
thing. But  soon  he  heard  a  voice,  which  said,  "  Do  you  know 
what  honest  man  this  is,  whom  we  have  saved  ?  "  Another  voice 
answered,  "  No,"  to  which  the  first  voice  replied,  "  Then  I  will 
tell  you.  This  man,  out  of  charity,  left  the  town  he  lived  in,  and 
came  here  in  hopes  to  cure  one  of  his  neighbors  of  the  envy  he 
had  against  him.  But  the  good  man  gained  such  respect  from 
everybody  that  the  envious  man  followed  him  to  niin  him.  He 
would  have  done  this  evil  thing  if  we  had  not  saved  the  good 
dervise,  whose  fame  is  so  great  that  the  sultan,  who  lives  in  the 
neighboring  city,  was  to  visit  him  to-morrow,  to  recommend  the 
princess,  his  daughter,  to  his  prayers." 

Then  the  other  voice  asked,  "  What  need  has  the  princess  of 
the  dervise' s  prayers?"  To  this  the  first  answered,  "  You  do 
not  know,  it  seems,  that  she  is  insane.  But  I  well  know  how 


29 

/ 

this  good  dervise  could  cure  her.  He  has  a  black  cat  in  his 
convent,  with  a  white  spot  at  the  end  of  her  tail,  about  the 
size  of  a  small  piece  of  Arabian  money.  Let  him  only  pull 
seven  hairs  out  of  the  white  spot,  burn  them,  and  fume  the 
princess's  head  with  the  smoke,  and  she  will  be  immediately 
cured." 

The  dervise  heard  every  word  of  this  conversation,  and  in  the 
morning  as  soon  as  daylight  appeared,  he  saw  a  hole  through 
which  he  crept  out  of  the  well  with  ease.  He  then  went  at  once 
to  the  convent,  and,  taking  the  black  cat,  pulled  seven  hairs  from 
the  white  spot  on  her  tail,  and  laid  them  carefully  aside. 

Soon  after  sunrise,  the  sultan  arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  con- 
vent. He  commanded  his  guards  to  halt,  whilst  he  with  his 
principal  officers  went  in.  The  dervises  received  him  with  the 
greatest  respect.  The  sultan  then  called  their  chief  aside,  and 
said,  "Good  dervise,  you  are  probably  acquainted  with  the  cause 
of  my  visit."  "  Yes,  sir;"  replied  he;  "if  I  do  not  mistake, 
it  is  because  of  the  disease  of  the  princess.  If  your  majesty  will 
be  pleased  to  let  her  come  here,  I  hope,  through  God's  assist- 
ance, that  I  shall  be  able  to  cure  her. ' ' 

The  sultan,  in  great  joy,  sent  immediately  for  his  daughter, 
who  soon  appeared  with  many  ladies  and  attendants.  The  chief 
of  the  dervises  then  caused  a  carpet  to  be  held  over  her  head,  and 
he  threw  the  seven  hairs  upon  burning  coals,  and  with  the 
smoke  he  fumed  the  head  of  the  princess.  Immediately  she  re- 
covered her  reason  and  was  entirely  cured.  The  sultan, 
greatly  rejoicing,  embraced  his  daughter  and  kissed  her.  He 
also  kissed  the  dervise's  hands,  and  said  to  his  officers,  "  What 
reward  does  he  deserve  for  curing  my  daughter  ?  ' '  They  all 
cried,  "  He  deserves  to  have  her  in  marriage."  "  That  is  what 
I  also  think,"  said  the  sultan;  "  and  I  will  make  him  my  son- 
in-law  from  this  moment."  So  the  dervise  was  immediately 
married  to  the  princess.  Some  time  afterwards  the  vizier  died, 
and  the  sultan  made  the  good  dervise  his  vizier.  The  sultan 
himself  also  died  without  heirs,  upon  which  the  army  and  the 


^^•""ITilgjEr^ 


i.,._.....«,  .n,|,       . ^^ -.         >-._.._ 

R          P'  fn  f 

.X---.—  -  . ,  ,>/,^  \ \:\  -,   i  tm 


Drawn  by  R.  B.  Birch. 
(..o) 


THE  CURE  OF  THE  PRINCESS. 


people    all  agreed   that   the  dervise  should  be  declared  sultan, 
and  so  it  was  done. 

Thus  was  the  good  man  rewarded  for  his  virtue.  He  had  now 
great  power,  and  he  could  have  punished  the  envious  man  if  he 
had  wished,  but  instead  of  doing  so  he  treated  him  with  kind- 
ness. One  day,  as  he  was  riding  out  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  he 
saw  the  envious  man  among  the  crowd  that  stood  as  he  passed 
along,  and  calling  his  vizier  he  whispered  in  his  ear,  "  Go,  bring 
me  that  man  you  see  there,  but  take  care  you  do  not  frighten  him. ' ' 
The  vizier  obeyed,  and  when  the  envious  man  was  brought  into 
his  presence,  the  sultan  said,  "  Friend,  I  am  extremely  glad  to 
see  you."  Then  he  called  an  officer  and  said  to  .him,  "  Go  im- 
mediately and  pay  to  this  man  out  of  my  treasury  one  hundred 
pieces  of  gold;  give  him  also  twenty  loads  of  the  richest  mer- 
chandise in  my  storehouses,  and  a  sufficient  guard  to  conduct  him 
to  his  home." 


CONTINUATION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  THE  SECOND 
CALENDER. 

Having  finished  my  story  I  then  said  to  the  genie,  "That  was  the 
way  the  dervise  acted  towards  the  envious  man  who  injured 
him.  He  pardoned  him  and  conferred  favors  on  him,  instead 
of  punishing  him,  and  so,  genie,  ought  you  to  do  to  me."  But 
I. could  not  move  the  monster  to  pity.  "  All  that  I  can  do  for 
thee, "  said  he,  "  is  to  grant  thee  thy  life,  but  I  must  place  thee 
under  enchantment. ' ' 

So  saying,  he  seized  me  violently  and  carried  me  through  the 
arched  roof  of  the  underground  palace,  which  opened  to  give 
him  passage.  He  ascended  with  me  into  the  air  to  such  a  height 
that  the  earth  appeared  like  a  little  white  cloud.  He  then  de- 
scended with  great  rapidity,  and  alighted  upon  the  top  of  a 
mountain.  Here  he  took  up  a  handful  of  earth,  and,  muttering 
some  words  which  I  did  not  understand,  threw  it  upon  me. 


32 

*'  Quit,"  said  he,  "  the  form  of  a  man  and  take  that  of  an  ape." 
He  instantly  disappeared  and  left  me  there,  changed  into  an  ape, 
and  overwhelmed  with  sorrow,  in  a  strange  country,  not  knowing 
whether  I  was  near  my  father's  kingdom  or  far  from  it. 

I  descended  the  mountain,  and  entered  a  level  country,  which 
took  me  a  month  to  travel  over,  and  then  I  came  to  the  seaside. 
The  sea  happened  at  the  time  to  be  perfectly  calm,  and  I  saw  a 
vessel  a  few  miles  from  the  shore.  Not  to  miss  so  good  a 
chance  of  escape,  I  broke  off  a  large  branch  from  a  tree,  carried 
it  into  the  sea,  and  placed  myself  astride  upon  it,  with  a  stick  in 
each  hand  to  serve  me  for  oars.  I  launched  out  on  this  frail  bark, 
and  rowed  towards  the  ship.  When  I  approached  near  enough 
to.be  seen,  the  crew  and  passengers  looked  at  me  with  astonish- 
ment. In  the  mean  time,  laying  hold  of  a  rope,  I  jumped  upon 
the  deck,  but  having  lost  my  speech,  I  found  myself  in  great  diffi- 
culty, and  indeed  the  danger  I  was  then  in  was  not  less  than 
when  I  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  genie. 

The  merchants  in  the  ship  thought  that  if  they  let  me  remain 
on  board  I  should  be  the  cause  of  some  misfortune  to  them 
during  their  voyage,  for  they  imagined  I  was  some  evil  thing. 
They  therefore  said,  "  Let  us  throw  him  into  the  sea."  They 
would .  certainly  have  done  so  had  I  not  gone  to  the  captain, 
thrown  myself  at  his  feet,  and  taken  hold  of  his  skirt  in  a  beg- 
ging posture.  This  action,  together  with  the  tears  which  he  saw 
gush  from  my  eyes,  moved  him  to  pity.  He  took  me  under  his 
protection,  and  treated  me  very  kindly.  On  my  part,  though  I 
had  not  the  power  to  speak,  I  showed  by  my  gestures  every  mark 
of  gratitude  in  my  power. 

Soon  afterwards  a  wind  arose,  and  it  continued  to  blow  in  the 
same  direction  for  fifty  days,  bringing  us  safe  to  the  harbor  of  a 
large  city,  where  we  cast  anchor.  Our  vessel  was  instantly  sur- 
rounded with  numbers  of  boats  full  of  people.  Some  officers  of 
the  sultan  then  came  on  board,  and  said,  "  The  sultan,  our 
master,  rejoices  at  your  safe  arrival,  and  he  begs  that  each  of 
you  will  write  a  few  lines  upon  this  paper.  Our  vizier,  a  clever 


33 

man  who  wrote  beautifully,  died  a  few  days  since,  and  the  sultan 
has  made  a  vow  not  to  give  the  place  to  any  one  who  cannot 
write  equally  well.  No  one  has  yet  been  thought  worthy  of  the 
place." 

Those  of  the  merchants  on  board  who  could  write  well  wrote 
one  after  another  on  the  piece  of  paper.  After  they  had  done, 
I  advanced,  and  took  the  paper,  but  all  the  people  cried  out 
that  I  would  tear  it  or  throw  it  into  the  sea,  till  they  saw  how 
I  held  it,  and  made  a  sign  that  I  would  write.  Their  fear  then 
changed  into  wonder.  But  as  they  had  never  seen  an  ape  that 
knew  how  to  write,  and  could  not  think  that  I  was  more  clever 
than  others  of  my  kind,  they  wished  to  snatch  the  paper  out 
of  my  hand,  but  the  captain  took  my  part  once  more.  "  Let 
him  alone,"  said  he;  "  allow  him  to  write. "  I  then  took  the 
pen,  and  wrote  six  sorts  of  handwriting  used  among  the  Arabians, 
and  each  specimen  contained  four  lines  of  poetry  in  praise  of 
the  sultan.  As  soon  as  I  had  finished  the  officers  carried  the 
roll  of  paper  away. 

When  the  paper  was  shown  to  the  sultan  he  took  little  notice 
of  any  of  the  writing  except  mine,  which  pleased  him  so  much 
that  he  said  to  the  officers,  ' '  Take  the  finest  horse  in  my  stable, 
with  the  richest  trappings,  and  a  robe  of  the  most  beautiful 
brocade  to  put  on  the  person  who  wrote  this,  and  bring  him  here. ' ' 
At  this  command  the  officers  could  not  forbear  laughing.  The 
sultan  was  angry  at  their  rudeness,  and  would  have  punished 
them,  only  that  they  said,  "  Sir,  we  humbly  beg  your  Majesty's 
pardon.  These  lines  were  not  written  by  a  man,  but  by  an  ape. ' ' 
"What  do  you  say?  "cried  the  sultan.  "Those  beautiful 
letters  not  written  by  the  hands  of  a  man  !  "  "  No,  sir,"  re- 
plied the  officers;  "  we  assure  your  Majesty  that  it  was  an  ape 
who  wrote  them  in  our  presence. ' '  The  sultan  was  astonished, 
and  he  said  to  the  officers,  "  Bring  that  wonderful  ape  here 
immediately." 

The  officers  returned  to  the  vessel,  and  told  the  captain,  who 
answered,  "  The  sultan's  command  must  be  obeyed. ' '  Then  they 

ARABIAN    NIGHTS  —  3 


34 

clothed  me  with  the  rich  brocade  robe,  and  carried  me  ashore, 
where  they  placed  me  on  horseback,  and  the  sultan  waited  for 
me  with  a  number  of  his  ministers  of  state. 

A  procession  was  now  formed,  and  we  set  out  for  the  royal 
palace.  The  streets,  the  windows,  terraces,  and  houses,  were 
filled  with  a  vast  number  of  people  who  flocked  from  every  part 
of  the  city  to  see  me,  for  the  rumor  spread  in  a  moment  that  the 
sultan  had  chosen  an  ape  to  be  his  grand  vizier. 

Arrived  at  the  sultan's  palace,  I  found  the  sultan  on  his  throne 
in  the  midst  of  his  ministers.  I  bowed  three  times  very  low, 
and  then  kneeled  and  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  after  which 
I  took  my  seat  in  the  posture  of  an  ape.  The  whole  assembly 
viewed  me  with  wonder.  They  were  astonished  that  an  ape 
should  know  so  well  how  to  pay  respect  to  the  sultan,  and  he  him- 
self was  more  astonished  than  any. 

The  sultan  now  dismissed  his  ministers  for  the  day,  and  none 
remained  by  him  but  myself,  the  chief  of  the  attendants  of  the 
palace,  and  a  young  slave.  He  then  went  from  his  chamber 
of  state  into  his  own  private  apartment,  where  he  had  ordered 
dinner  to  be  brought.  As  he  sat  down,  he  made  a  sign  to  me 
to  approach  and  eat.  I  arose,  kissed  the  ground,  and  placed 
myself  at  the  table.  After  dinner  I  washed  my  hands,  and 
taking  a  pen  and  paper,  I  wrote  some  verses  expressing  my 
thanks  to  the  sultan,  and  I  presented  them  to  him.  I  also 
wrote  verses  about  the  state  of  happiness  I  was  now  in,  after 
my  many  sufferings.  The  sultan  was  astonished  on  reading 
what  I  had  written,  and  he  said,  "  A  person  capable  of  compos- 
ing such  poetry  should  rank  among  the  greatest  of  men. ' ' 

The  sultan  then  caused  a  chessboard  to  be  brought  to  him, 
and  asked  me  by  sign  if  I  understood  that  game  and  would  play 
with  him.  I  kissed  the  ground,  and  laying  my  hand  upon  my 
head,  signified  that  I  was  ready.  He  won  the  first  game,  but  I 
won  the  second  and  third,  and  seeing  that  he  was  somewhat  dis- 
pleased at  being  beaten,  I  made  a  verse  to  pacify  him.  In  this 
verse  I  told  him  that  two  great  armies  had  been  fighting  furiously 


35 

all  day,  but  that  they  concluded  a  peace  towards  the  evening,  and 
passed  the  night  very  agreeably  together  upon  the  field  of  bat- 
tle. The  sultan,  surprised  at  seeing  an  ape  do  such  things,  re- 
solved not  to  be  himself  the  only  witness  of  these  wonders,  and 
having  a  daughter,  called  the  Lady  of  Beauty,  he  sent  for  her  that 
she  should  share  his  pleasure. 

When  the  princess  came  into  the  room  she  said  to  the  sultan, 
"  Sir,  that  seeming  ape  is  a  young  prince,  son  of  a  powerful 
sultan.  He  has  been  changed  into  an  ape  by  enchantment. 
When  I  was  just  out  of  the  nursery,  an  old  lady  who  waited  on 
me  was  a  great  magician,  and  she  taught  me  seventy  rules  of 
magic.  I  know  all  enchanted  persons  at  first  sight.  I  know 
who  they  are,  and  by  whom  they  have  been  enchanted.  I  also 
know  how  to  restore  enchanted  persons,  therefore  do  not  be 
surprised  if  I  restore  this  prince  to  his  own  form."  "  Do  so, 
then,"  said  the  sultan,  "  for  you  cannot  give  me  greater  pleasure, 
as  I  wish  to  have  him  for  my  grand  vizier,  and  bestow  you  upon 
him  for  a  wife."  "  I  am  ready,  sire,"  answered  the  princess, 
"  to  obey  you  in  all  things  you  please  to  command." 

The  Lady  of  Beauty  now  went  into  her  apartment,  and  brought 
out  a  knife,  which  had  some  Hebrew  words  engraved  on  the 
blade.  Then  she  made  the  sultan,  the  little  slave,  and  myself, 
go  down  into  a  private  court  of  the  palace,  and  she  left  us  under 
a  gallery  that  went  round  it.  She  next  went  into  the  middle  of 
the  court,  where  she  made  a  great  circle,  and  within  it  she  wrote 
several  words  in  ancient  Arabian  letters. 

When  she  had  finished  and  prepared  the  circle,  she  placed 
herself  in  the  center  of  it,  where  she  repeated  verses  of  the 
Koran.  Immediately  the  air  grew  dark,  as  if  it  were  night. 
We  began  to  be  much  afraid,  and  our  fear  increased  when  we  saw 
the  genie  suddenly  appear  in  the  shape  of  a  lion  of  a  gigantic 
size. 

' '  Thou  shall  pay  dearly, ' '  said  the  lion,  ' '  for  the  trouble 
thou  hast  given  me  in  coming  here. ' '  Saying  this,  he  opened 
his  horrible  jaws,  and  advanced  to  devour  the  princess.  But  she, 


36 

being  on  her  guard,  jumped  back,  and  had  just  time  to  pluck  a 
hair  from  "her  head.  Uttering  two  or  three  words,  she  changed 
the  hair  into  a  sharp  sword,  with  which  she  immediately  cut  the 
lion  in  two,  through  the  middle. 

The  two  parts  of  the  lion  directly  disappeared,  and  the  head 
changed  into  a  scorpion.  Then  the  princess  took  the  form  of  a 
serpent,  and  fought  the  scorpion,  which,  being  defeated,  changed 
itself  into  an  eagle,  and  flew  away.  But  the  serpent  changed 
itself  into  a  vulture  and  went  in  pursuit  of  the  eagle.  The  eagle 
then  changed  itself  into  a  black  cat,  and  the  king's  daughter  be- 
came a  wolf,  and  they  fought  together  long  and  fiercely,  till  the 
cat,  being  nearly  overcome,  changed  himself  into  a  large  pome- 
granate, which  fell  into  a  pool.  But  the  wolf  pursuing  it,  the 
pomegranate  ascended  into  the  air,  and  then  fell  upon  the  pave- 
ment of  the  palace,  breaking  in  pieces,  and  its  grains  scatter- 
ing all  over  the  court.  The  wolf,  upon  this,  changed  itself  into 
a  cock,  in  order  to  pick  up  the  grains,  and  not  leave  one  of  them, 
but  one  grain  remained  hidden  by  the  side  of  the  pool  of  the 
fountain. 

The  cock  now  began  to  cry,  and  flapped  its  wings,  and  made  a 
sign  to  us  with  its  beak,  but  we  understood  not  what  it  would  say. 
It  then  uttered  at  us  such  a  cry  that  we  thought  the  palace  had 
fallen  down  upon  us,  and  it  ran  about  the  whole  of  the  ground, 
until  it  saw  the  grain  that  had  lain  hid  by  the  side  of  the  pool. 
It  pounced  upon  the  grain  to  pick  it  up,  but  the  grain  fell  into 
the  midst  of  the  water,  and  became  changed  into  a  fish  and  sank 
into  the  water,  upon  which  the  cock  became  a  fish  of  a  larger 
size,  and  plunged  in  after  the  other.  For  awhile  it  was  absent 
from  our  sight,  but  at  length  we  heard  a  loud  cry,  and  trembled 
at  the  sound,  after  which  the  genie  rose  as  a  flame,  casting  fire 
from  his  mouth,  and  fire  and  smoke  from  his  eyes  and  nostrils. 
The  king's  daughter  also  became  a  vast  body  of  fire,  and  we 
would  have  plunged  into  the  water  from  fear  of  our  being  burned 
and  destroyed,  but  suddenly  the  genie  cried  out  from  within  the 
fire,  and  came  toward -us,  blowing  fire  at  our  faces.  The  lady, 


37 

however,  overtook  him,  and  blew  fire  in  like  manner  in  his  face, 
and  some  sparks  struck  us  both  from  her  and  from  him.  Her 
sparks  did  us  no  harm,  but  one  from  him  struck  me  in  my  eye, 
and  destroyed  it,  I  being  still  in  the  form  of  an  ape.  A  spark 
from  .him  reached  the- face  of  the  king,  and  burned  the  lower 
half,  with  his  beard  and  mouth,  and  struck  out  his  lower  teeth. 
We  expected  destruction,  and  gave  up  all  hope  of  preserving  our 
lives;  but  while  we  were  in  this  state,  a  voice  exclaimed,  "  God 
is  most  great !  God  is  most  great !  He  hath  conquered !  ' ' 
The  person  from  whom  this  voice  came  was  the  king's  daughter. 
She  had  burned  the  genie,  and  when  we  looked  toward  him, 
we  saw  that  he  had  become  a  heap  of  ashes. 

The  lady  then  came  to  us,  and  said,  "  Bring  me  a  cup  of 
water, ' '  and  when  it  was  brought  to  her,  she  spoke  over  it  some 
words  which  we  understood  not,  and,  sprinkling  me  with  it,  said, 
"  Be  restored,  by  the  name  of  God,  to  thy  original  form."  Im- 
mediately I  became  a  man  as  I  was  at  first,  except  that  my  eye 
was  destroyed.  After  this,  she  cried  out,  "  The  fire!  the  fire! 

0  my  father,  I  shall  no  longer  live,  for  I  am  to  be  killed.     Every 
time  that  he  tried  against  me  a  new  mode,  I  employed  against 
him  one  more  powerful,  until  he  tried  against  me  the  mode  of 
fire,  and  rarely  does  one  escape  against  the  mode  of  fire.     Now 

1  die,  and  may  God  supply  my  place  to  you."     Then  a  spark 
ascended  to  her  breast  and  face,  and  when  it  reached  her  face 
she  wept,  and  cried,  "  There  is  no  deity  but  God,  and  Moham- 
med is  God's  apostle."     We  then  looked  toward  her,  and  saw 
that  she  was  a  heap  of  ashes  by  the  side  of  the  ashes  of  the 
genie. 

I  cannot  tell  you,  madam,  how  much  I  was  grieved.  I  had 
rather  have  continued  an  ape  all  my  life  than  to  have  seen  the 
princess  thus  perish.  The  sultan  cried  piteously,  until,  being 
quite  overcome  by  grief,  he  fainted  away.  In  the  mean  time 
the  attendants  and  the  officers  came  running  in  at  the  sultan's 
lamentations,  and  with  much  difficulty  brought  him  to  himself. 

When  the  knowledge  of   the  death  of   the   princess  spread 


38 

through  the  palace  and  the  city,  all  the  people  greatly  lamented. 
Public  mourning  was  observed  for  seven  days,  and  many  cere- 
monies were  performed.  The  ashes  of  the  genie  were  thrown 
into  the  air,  but  those  of  the  princess  were  collected  and  put 
into  a  precious  urn,  to  be  preserved,  and  the  urn  was  placed 
in  a  magnificent  tomb  built  for  that  purpose  on  the  spot  where 
the  princess  had  died. 

The  grief  of  the  sultan  for  the  loss  of  his  daughter  confined 
him  to  his  chamber  for  a  whole  month.  Before  he  had  fully  re- 
covered his  strength,  he  sent  for  me  and  said,  "  You  are  the 
cause  of  all  these  misfortunes;  depart,  therefore,  without  delay 
from  my  city  and  kingdom." 

I  was  obliged  to  quit  the  palace,  again  an  outcast  from  the 
world.  Before  I  left  the  city  I  caused  my  beard  and  eyebrows 
to  be  shaved,  and  put  on  a  calender's  robe.  I  passed  through 
many  countries  without  making  myself  known.  At  last  I  resolved 
to  visit  Bagdad,  in  hopes  of  meeting  with  the  Commander  of  the 
Faithful,  to  move  his  pity  for  me  by  relating  to  him  my  unfor- 
tunate adventures.  I  arrived  this  evening,  and  the  first  man  I 
met  was  this  calender,  who  spoke  before  me.  You  know  the 
rest,  madam,  and  the  cause  of  my  having  come  to  this  house. 

When  the  second  calender  had  concluded  his  story,  Zobeide 
said,  "  It  is  well;  you  are  at  liberty."  But  instead  of  departing 
he  also  begged  the  lady  to  permit  him  to  remain  to  hear  the 
stories  of  the  others.  Then  the  third  calender  addressed  Zo- 
beide, and  told  his  story  as  follows: 


STORY  OF  THE  THIRD  CALENDER. 

I  was  a  king,  and  the  son  of  a  king,  and  when  my  father  died 
I  succeeded  to  his  throne,  and  governed  my  people  with  justice. 
I  took  pleasure  in  sea  voyages,  and  my  capital  was  on  the  shore 
of  a  great  sea  in  which  were  many  islands.  These  I  used  to  visit 
for  my  own  pleasure.  Once  I  embarked  with  a  fleet  of  ten  ships, 


39 

and  took  with  me  provisions  enough  for  a  whole  month.  Our 
vessels  sailed  for  twenty  days,  after  which  there  arose  against  us 
a  contrary  wind,  but  at  daybreak  it  ceased,  and  the  sea  became 
calm.  Soon  we  arrived  at  an  island,  where  we  landed,  and 
cooked  some  provisions,  and  ate,  after  which  we  remained  there 
two  days.  We  then  continued  our  voyage,  and  when  twenty 
days  more  had  passed,  we  found  ourselves  in  strange  waters,  un- 
known to  the  captain,  and  he  ordered  the  watch  to  look  out  from 
the  masthead.  So  the  watch  went  aloft,  and  when  he  came 
down  he  said  to  the  captain,  "  I  saw,  on  my  right  hand,  fish 
floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  looking  toward  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  I  saw  something  looming  in  the  distance, 
sometimes  black,  and  sometimes  white." 

When  the  captain  heard  this,  he  threw  his  turban  on  the  deck 
with  one  hand,  and  beat  his  breast  with  the  other,  and  cried  out, 
"We  are  all  lost !  not  one  of  us  will  escape !"  I  asked  him  why  he 
thought  we  were  lost,  and  he  answered,  "  The  storm  has  driven 
us  so  far  out  of  our  course  that  to-morrow  at  noon  we  shall  be 
near  a  mountain  of  black  stone  called  loadstone,  which  at  this 
very  moment  is  drawing  all  our  fleet  towards  it  because  of  the 
iron  in  our  ships.  When  we  approach  within  a  certain  distance 
the  attraction  of  the  loadstone  will  have  such  force  that  all  the 
nails  will  be  drawn  out  of  the  sides  and  bottoms  of  the  ships,  and 
fasten  to  the  mountain,  so  that  the  vessels  will  fall  to  pieces  and 
sink.  Great  numbers  of  ships  have  been  destroyed  by  this 
mountain.  On  the  top  of  it  there  is  a  dome  of  brass,  supported 
by  pillars  of  the  same  metal,  and  on  the  top  of  the  dome  there  is 
a  horse  of  brass  with  a  rider  on  its  back.  The  rider  has  in  his 
hand  a  brazen  spear  and  a  tablet  of  lead  fixed  to  his  breast,  upon 
which  are  engraved  mysterious  names  and  talismans.  As  long, 
O  king,  as  this  horseman  remains  upon  the  horse,  so  long  will 
every  ship  that  approaches  be  destroyed,  with  every  one  on  board. 
No  one  will  be  safe  until  the  horseman  is  thrown  down  from 
the  horse. ' ' 

The  captain  then  began  to  weep  afresh,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 


40 

ship's  company  did  the  same,  and  they  took  farewell  of  each 
other.  Next  morning  we  saw  the  black  mountain.  About  noon 
we  found  that  what  the  captain  said  was  true,  for  all  the  nails 
and  iron  in  the  ships  flew  toward  the  mountain  with  a  horrible 
noise.  Then  the  ships  split  asunder,  and  their  cargoes  sank 
into  the  sea.  All  my  people  were  drowned,  but  God  had  mercy 
on  me,  and  permitted  me  to  save  myself  by  means  of  a  plank, 
which  the  wind  drove  ashore  just  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
I  did  not  receive  the  least  hurt,  and  my  good  fortune  brought 
me  to  a  landing  place,  where  there  were  steps  that  led  up  the 
mountain.  I  began  to  ascend,  and  at  last  reached  the  top.  I 
went  into  the  dome,  and,  kneeling  on  the  ground,  gave  God 
thanks  for  my  preservation. 

I  passed  the  night  under  the  dome.  In  my  sleep  I  heard  a 
voice  saying  to  me,  "  O  King  Ajib,  as  soon  as  thou  art  awake 
dig  the  ground  under  thy  feet,  and  thou  wilt  find  a  bow  of  brass, 
and  three  arrows  of  lead.  Shoot  the  arrows  at  the  horseman, 
and  he  will  fall  into  the  sea.  When  this  is  done,  the  sea  will 
swell  and  rise  to  the  foot  of  the  dome.  Then  thou  wilt  see  a 
boat  with  one  man  holding  an  oar  in  each  hand.  This  man  is 
also  of  metal.  Step  on  board  with  him,  but  take  care  not  to  utter 
the  name  of  God.  The  man  will  in  ten  days  bring  thee  into 
another  sea,  where  thou  shalt  find  a  way  to  return  to  thy  country, 
provided,  as  I  have  told  thee,  thou  dost  not  mention  the  name 
of  God  during  the  whole  voyage." 

When  I  awoke  I  felt  much  comforted,  and  did  not  fail  to  do 
as  the  voice  commanded  me.  I  took  the  bow  and  arrows  out  of 
the  ground,  shot  at  the  horseman,  and  with  the  third  arrow  I 
overthrew  him  and  the  horse.  Then  the  sea  swelled  and  rose  up 
by  degrees.  When  it  came  as  high  as  the  foot  of  the  dome  upon 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  I  saw,  afar  off,  a  boat  rowing  towards 
me,  and  I  returned  thanks  to  God.  When  the  boat  came  up  to 
me  I  stepped  aboard,  and  found  there  the  man  of  metal.  I 
sat  down,  and  the  man  began  to  row  off  from  the  mountain. 
He  rowed  without  ceasing  until  the  ninth  day,  when  I  saw  some 


islands,  which  gave  me  hope  that  I  should  escape  all  the  danger 
that  I  feared.  The  excess  of  my  joy  made  me  forget  for  a  mo- 
ment the  warning  of  the  voice  in  my  dream,  and  I  cried  out, 
"God  is  great,  God  be  praised !"  As  soon  as  I  had  uttered  these 
words  the  boat  and  man  sank,  and  I  was  cast  upon  the  sea.  I 
swam  until  night,  when,  as  my  strength  began  to  fail,  a  wave  vast 
as  a  mountain  threw  me  on  the  land.  The  first  thing  I  did  was  to 
spread  my  clothes  on  the  ground  to  dry.  Then  I  lay  down  to  sleep. 

Next  morning,  I  went  forward  to  discover  what  sort  of  country 
I  was  in.  I  had  not  walked  far  before  I  found  I  was  upon  a  very 
pleasant  island,  having  many  trees  and  wild  shrub's  bearing  fruit. 
I  prayed  to  God  to  protect  me,  and  soon  I  saw  a  vessel  coming 
from  the  mainland  directly  towards  the  island.  I  got  up  into  a  very 
thick  tree,  from  which,  without  being  seen,  I  might  safely  watch 
the  people  in  the  ship.  The  vessel  came  into  a  little  creek,  and 
ten  slaves  landed  from  it,  carrying  a  spade  and  other  instruments 
for  digging  up  the  ground.  They  went  towards  the  middle  of  the 
island,  and  there  they  dug  for  some  time,  after  which  they  lifted 
up  a  trapdoor.  They  then  returned  to  the  vessel,  and  unloaded 
several  sorts  of  provisions  and  furniture,  which  they  carried  to 
the  place  where  they  had  been  digging.  Then  they  again  went 
to  the  ship,  and  returned  soon  afterwards  with  an  old  man,  who 
led  by  the  hand  a  handsome  lad  of  about  fifteen  years  of  age. 
They  all  went  down  through  the  trapdoor,  and'  in  a  few  minutes 
came  up  again.  Then  they  closed  the  door,  covered  it  with 
earth,  and  returned  to  the  ship.  But  I  did  not  see  the  boy  re- 
turning with  them.  I  therefore  believed  that  they  had  left  him 
behind  in  the  underground  cave. 

The  old  man  and  his  slaves  went  on  board,  and  steered  their 
vessel  towards  the  mainland.  When  they  had  gone  such  a  dis- 
tance that  they  could  not  see  me,  I  came  down  from  the  tree, 
and  went  to  the  place  where  they  dug  the  ground.  I  removed 
the  earth  by  degrees,  till  I  came  to  a  stone  two  or  three  feet 
square.  I  lifted  the  stone  up,  and  found  that  it  covered  the 
head  of  a  flight  of  stairs.  I  descended  the  stairs,  and  at  the  bot- 


42 

torn  I  found  a  large  room,  brilliantly  lighted,  and  splendidly  fur- 
nished, and  there  on  a  beautiful  couch  was  seated  the  young  man 
they  took  from  the  ship.  When  he  saw  me,  he  was  a  little 
frightened,  but  I  made  a  low  bow,  and  said  to  him,"  Sir,  do  not 
fear.  I  am  a  king,  and  I  will  do  you  no  harm.  On  the  contrary, 
I  may  be  able  to  deliver  you  out  of  this  tomb,  where  it  seems 
you  have  been  buried  alive." 

The  young  man,  relieved  at  these  words,  invited  me  to  sit 
down  on  the  couch  beside  him,  and  as  soon  as  I  was  seated,  he 
said,  "  Prince,  my  story  will  surprise  you.  My  father  is  a 
jeweler.  He  has  many  slaves,  and  also  agents  at  several  courts 
to  which  he  sends  precious  stones.  Before  I  was  born  he 
dreamed  that  he  should  have  a  son,  whose  life  would  be  short. 
Some  time  after  my  birth  he  consulted  magicians  about  me,  and 
they  said  to  him,  '  Your  son  will  live  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
and  then  he  will  be  killed.  This  will  happen  when  the  statue  on 
the  top  of  the  loadstone  mountain  is  thrown  into  the  sea.  The 
person  who  is  to  kill  your  son  is  he  who  will  throw  down  the 
statue,  and  his  name  is  King  A  jib,  son  of  King  Cassib. '  My 
father  was  greatly  troubled  on  hearing  this,  and  when  he  had 
reared  me  until  I  was  nearly  fifteen  years  of  age,  the  magicians 
came  again,  and  told  him  that  the  horseman  had  fallen  into  the 
sea,  and  that  it  had  been  thrown  down  by  King  A  jib,  the  son  of 
King  Cassib.  He  then  prepared  for  me  this  dwelling,  and  left 
me  here  to  remain  until  the  end  of  the  term  of  fifteen  years,  of 
which  there  now  remain  ten  days.  All  this  he  did  from  fear  lest 
King  Ajib  should  kill  me."  When  the  young  man  had  done 
speaking,  I  said  to  him,  with  great  joy,  "  Dear  sir,  trust  in  the 
goodness  of  God,  and  fear  nothing.  I  will  not  leave  you  till  the 
ten  days  have  expired,  of  which  the  foolish  magicians  have  made 
you  afraid.  In  the  mean  while  I  will  do  you  all  the  service  in  my 
power,  after  which,  with  the  leave  of  your  father  and  yourself,  I 
shall  go  to  the  mainland  in  your  vessel.  When  I  return  to  my 
kingdom,  I  will  remember  your  kindness  and  endeavor  to  show 
my  gratitude. "  This  encouraged  the  jeweler's  son,  and  gave  him 


43 

much  hope.  I  took  care  not  to  tell  him  I  was  the  very  Ajib 
whom  he  dreaded,  lest  I  should  alarm  him.  I  partook  with  him 
of  his  provisions,  of  which  he  had^enough  to  last  more  than  ten 
days,  even  if  he  had  more  guests  than  myself,  and  we  spent  the 
time  in  the  pleasantest  manner  possible. 

The  tenth  day  came,  and  in  the  morning,  when  the  young  man 
awoke,  he  said  to  me,  with  great  joy,  "  Prince,  this  is  the  tenth 
day,  and  I  am  not  dead,  thanks  to  God  and  your  good  company. 
My  father  will  soon  be  here,  and  in  gratitude  for  your  kindness  will 
furnish  you  with  means  to  return  to  your  kingdom.  But  while 
we  are  waiting  his  arrival,  dear  prince,  pray  do  me  the  favor  to 
fetch  me  a  melon  and  some  sugar,  that  I  may  eat  to  refresh  my- 
self."  Out  of  several  melons  that  remained  I  took  the  best,  and 
laid  it  on  a  plate,  and  as  I  could  not  find  a  knife  to  cut  it  with,  I 
asked  the  young  man  if  he  knew  where  there  was  one.  "  There 
is  one,"  said  he,  "  upon  this  shelf  over  my  head."  Looking  up 
I  saw  it  there,  and  made  so  much  haste  to  reach  it  that,  while 
I  had  it  in  my  hand,  my  foot  slipped.  I  fell  upon  the  young 
man  and  the  knife  pierced  his  body,  killing  him  instantly. 

At  this  spectacle  I  cried  out  with  agony.  I  beat  my  head, 
my  face,  and  my  breast;  I  tore  my  clothes;  I  threw  myself  on 
the  ground  with  sorrow  and  grief.  But  as  all  my  tears  could  not 
restore  the  young  man  to  life,  and  the  ten  days  being  expired, 
I  left  the  underground  dwelling,  laid  down  the  great  stone  upon 
the  entrance,  and  covered  it  with  earth.  Then  I  again  ascended 
into  the  tree  and  very  soon  I  saw  the  expected  vessel  approach- 
ing the  shore. 

The  old  man,  the  father  of  the  youth,  landed  immediately  with 
his  slaves  and  advanced  towards  the  cave,  but  when  they  saw  that 
the  earth  had  been  newly  removed,  they  were  much  surprised. 
They  lifted  up  the  stone  and  descended  the  stairs,  calling  the 
young  man  by  his  name.  When  they  found  him  stretched  on 
his  couch  lifeless,  they  uttered  such  lamentable  cries  that  my 
tears  flowed  afresh.  The  father  fell  down  in  a  swoon,  and  the 
slaves  thought  he  was  dead,  but  at  last  he  came  to  himself. 


44 

Then  they  brought  up  the  son's  body,  and  taking  all  that  was 
in  the  cave  to  the  ship,  they  departed. 

After  the  old  man  and  the  slaves  were  gone,  I  was  left  alone. 
I  lay  that  night  in  the  underground  dwelling,  and  when  the  day 
came,  I  walked  round  the  island.  I  led  this  life  for  two  months, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  I  noticed  that  the  sea  had  sunk  so 
low  that  there  remained  between  me  and  the  mainland  but  a 
small  stream.  This  I  was  able  to  cross,  the  water  not  reaching 
above  the  middle  of  my  leg.  When  I  got  upon  firm  ground, 
and  had  gone  some  distance  from  the  sea,  I  saw  a  good  way  be- 
fore me  something  that  resembled  a  great  fire.  As  I  drew 
nearer,  however,  I  found  that  what  I  had  taken  for  a  fire  was  a 
castle  of  red  copper,  which  the  beams  of  the  sun  made  to  appear 
at  a  distance  like  flames.  While  I  was  admiring  this  magnificent 
building,  there  approached  me  an  old  man  of  venerable  appear- 
ance, accompanied  by  ten  handsome  young  men  who  were  all 
blind  of  the  right  eye,  at  which  I  was  much  surprised. 

As  soon  as  they  saw  me  they  saluted  me  and  inquired  what  had 
brought  me  there.  I  told  them  my  story  from  first  to  last  and 
it  filled  them  with  great  astonishment.  Then  they  invited  me  to 
accompany  them  to  the  palace,  and  they  brought  me  into  a 
spacious  hall,  where  there  were  ten  small  blue  sofas  set  round, 
separate  from  one  another.  In  the  middle  of  this  circle  stood 
an  eleventh  sofa,  not  so  high  as  the  rest,  but  of  the  same  color, 
upon  which  the  old  man  sat  down,  the  young  men  occupying  the 
other  ten.  But  as  each  sofa  could  contain  only  one  man,  one  of 
them  said  to  me,  "  Sit  down,  friend,  upon  that  carpet  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  and  do  not  inquire  about  anything  that  con- 
cerns us,  nor  the  reason  why  we  are  all  blind  of  the  right  eye. ' ' 

The  old  man  having  sat  a  short  time,  arose  and  went  out,  but 
he  returned  in  a  minute  or  two,  bringing  in  supper.  He  gave 
each  his  share  separately,  and  also  gave  me  a  share,  which  I  ate 
apart,  as  the  rest  did.  After  supper  one  of  the  young  men  said 
to  the  old  man,  "  Bring  us  that  with  which  we  may  perform  our 
duty."  At  these  words  the  old  man  arose,  went  into  a  closet, 


45 

and  brought  out  upon  his  head  ten  covered  trays,  one  of  which 
he  placed  before  each  young  man,  together  with  a  light.  Hav- 
ing done  this  he  took  off  the  covers,  and  there  appeared  on  the 
trays  ashes  mixed  with  pounded  charcoal.  The  young  men  then 
tucked  up  their  sleeves  above  their  elbows,  and  rubbed  and  daubed 
their  faces  with  the  mixture.  Having  thus  blackened  them- 
selves, they  wept  and  lamented,  beating  their  heads  and  breasts, 
and  crying  continually,  "  This  is  the  result  of  our  idleness  and 
curiosity. ' ' 

They  continued  to  do  so  nearly  the  whole  night.  The  next 
day,  soon  after  we  had  risen,  we  went  out  to  walk,  and  I  said  to 
them,  "  I  cannot  help  asking  why  you  daubed  your  faces  with 
black,  and  how  it  has  happened  that  each  of  you  has  but  one 
eye.  I  beg  you  to  tell  me. ' '  One  of  the  young  men  answered 
for  the  rest,  saying,  "  Once  more  we  advise  you  not  to  ask 
about  what  does  not  concern  you,  lest  the  same  evil  happen  to 
you  as  has  happened  to  us,  and  if  you  lose  your  eye,  you  cannot 
remain  with  us  because  our  number  is  completed,  and  no  ad- 
dition can  be  made  to  it. "  "  No  matter,"  I  replied,  "  if  such 
a  misfortune  happen  to  me,  I  will  not  blame  you,  but  myself. ' ' 

The  young  men,  seeing  that  I  was  so  fixed  in  my  purpose,  then 
took  a  sheep  and  killed  and  skinned  it,  after  which  they  gave  me 
a  knife  and  said,  "  We  must  sew  you  in  this  skin,  and  leave  you. 
In  a  little  while  a  bird  gf  monstrous  size,  called  a  roc,  will  ap- 
pear in  the  air,  and,  taking  you  for  a  sheep,  will  pounce  upon 
you,  and  soar  with  you  to  the  sky.  But  let  not  that  alarm  you; 
he  will  descend  with  you  again,  and  lay  you  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain.  When  you  find  yourself  on  the  ground,  cut  the  skin 
with  your  knife,  and  throw  it  off.  As  soon  as  the  roc  sees  you, 
he  will  fly  away  for  fear,  and  leave  you  at  liberty.  Do  not  stay, 
but  walk  on  till  you  come  to  a  great  palace  covered  with  plates 
of  gold,  large  emeralds,  and  other  precious  stones.  Go  up  to  the 
gate,  which  always  stands  open,  and  walk  in.  We  have  each  of 
us  been  in  that  castle,  but  we  can  tell  you  nothing  of  what  we 
saw,  or  what  happened  to  us  there;  you  will  learn  that  for  your- 


46 

self.  All  we  can  tell  you  is  that  it  has  cost  each  of  us  his  right 
eye,  and  what  you  have  seen  us  do  is  what  we  are  obliged  to  do 
on  account  of  having  been  there. ' ' 

When  the  young  man  had  thus  spoken,  I  wrapped  myself  in  the 
sheep's  skin,  holding  fast  the  knife  which  was  given  me.  Then 
they  sewed  the  skin  about  me,  retired  into  the  hall,  and  left  me 
alone.  The  roc  soon  arrived;  he  pounced  upon  me,  took  me  in 
his  talons  like  a  sheep,  and  carried  me  up  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  When  I  found  myself  on  the  ground,  I  cut  the  skin 
with  the  knife,  and  threw  it  off,  and  the  roc  at  the  sight  of  me 
flew  away.  The  roc  is  a  white  bird,  of  vast  size,  and  so  strong 
that  he  can  lift  up  elephants  from  the  plains,  and  carry  them  to 
the  tops  of  mountains,  where  he  feeds  upon  them.  Eager  to 
reach  the  palace,  I  made  so  much  haste  that  I  got  there  in  half 
a  day's  journey,  and  I  found  that  it  was  even  grander  than  the 
young  men  had  said.  I  entered  at  a  door  which  I  saw  standing 
open  before  me,  and  passed  into  a  large  and  splendidly  furnished 
room.  Here  I  found  forty  beautiful  young  women,  all  magnifi- 
cently dressed.  As  soon  as  they  saw  me  they  arose,  and  said-  to 
me,  in  tones  of  joy,  "  Welcome!  welcome!  We  have  long  ex- 
pected you.  You  are  at  present  our  lord  and  master,  and  we  are 
your  slaves,  ready  to  obey  your  commands."  After  these  words 
were  spoken  they  served  me  with  refreshments,  and  when  I  had 
eaten  and  drunk,  they  sat  and  talked  with  me,  full  of  joy  and 
happiness.  Some  brought  in  musical  instruments,  and  sang  de- 
lightful songs;  others  danced  with  admirable  grace. 

In  this  way  I  passed  a  whole  year  with  these  ladies  in  the 
greatest  happiness.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  new  year,  I  was  much  surprised  to  see  the  ladies  gather 
round  me,  and  to  hear  them  say,  ' '  Adieu,  dear  prince,  adieu !  for 
we  must  leave  you. ' '  They  then  began  to  weep  bitterly.  ' '  My 
dear  ladies,"  said  I,  "  have  the  kindness  to  tell  me  the  cause  of 
your  sorrow."  "  Well,"  said  one  of  them,  "  we  must  tell  you 
that  we  are  all  princesses,  daughters  of  kings.  We  live  here 
together  in  the  manner  you  have  seen,  but  at  the  end  of  every 


47 

year  we  are  obliged  to  oe  absent  forty  days,  for  reasons  we  are 
not  allowed  to  tell,  and  then  we  return.  Before  we  depart  we 
will  give  you  the  keys  of  the  palace,  which  are  a  hundred  in 
number,  and  belong  to  a  hundred  doors.  You  may  open  all  the 
doors  except  one,  and  you  will  find  plenty  to  amuse  and  entertain 
you.  But  we  beg  you  not  to  open  the  golden  door,  for  if  you 
do,  we  shall  never  see  you  again,  and  the  fear  of  this  is  the 
cause  of  our  grief. ' '  Then  they  departed,  and  I  remained  alone 
in  the  castle. 

I  resolved  to  keep  in  mind  the  advice  they  had  given  me,  not 
to  open  the  golden  door,  but  as  I  was  permitted  to  open  all  the 
others,  Itook  the  first  of  the  keys,  which  were  hung  in  regular 
order.  I  opened  the  first  door  and  entered  an  orchard,  which 
I  believe  the  world  could  not  equal.  I  could  not  think  of  any- 
thing so  lovely.  The  neatness,  the  admirable  order  of  the  trees, 
the  plenty  and  variety  of  the  fruits,  and  their  freshness  and 
beauty,  delighted  me.  This  garden  was  watered  in  a  most 
singular  manner.  Small  channels,  cut  out  with  great  art  and 
regularity,  and  of  different  lengths,  carried  water  in  large  quanti- 
ties to  the  roots  of  such  trees  as  required  it.  Others  conveyed 
it  in  smaller  quantities  to  those  whose  fruits  were  already  formed. 
Some  carried  still  less  to  those  whose  fruits  were  swelling,  and 
others,  only  so  much  as  was  necessary  to  water  those  having 
their  fruits  come  to  perfection,  and  wanting  only  to  be  ripened. 
The  fruits  far  exceeded  in  size  the  ordinary  fruits  of  our  gardens. 

I  now  shut  the  door  of  the  orchard  and  opened  the  next  door. 
Instead  of  an  orchard,  I  found  here  a  flower  garden,  which  was 
also  most  beautiful.  Roses,  jessamines,  violets,  daffodils,  hya- 
cinths, anemones,  tulips,  pinks,  lilies,  and  a  great  number  of 
flowers  which  do  not  grow  in  other  places  but  at  certain  times, 
were  there  flourishing  all  at  once.  Nothing  could  be  more  deli- 
cious than  the  fragrant  smell  of  these  flowers.  I  opened  the 
third  door,  and  found  a  large  aviary,  paved  with  marble  of 
several  beautiful  colors.  The  trellis-work  was  made  of  sandal- 
wood  and  wood  of  aloes.  It  contained  a  vast  number  of  night- 


48 

ingales,  goldfinches,  canary  birds,  larks,  and  other  rare  singing 
birds,  and  the  vessels  that  held  their  seed  were  of  sparkling  jas- 
per or  agate.  It  was  now  evening,  and  I '  retired,  charmed  with 
the  notes  of  the  multitude  of  birds,  which  then  began  to  perch 
upon  such  places  as  suited  them  for  rest  during  the  night.  I 
went  to  my  chamber  resolved  to  open  all  the  rest  of  the  doors 
on  the  following  days,  except  that  of  gold. 

The  next  day  I  opened  the  fourth  door.  I  entered,  and  saw 
a  large  building  with  forty  gates,  all  open,  each  of  which  led  into 
a  treasury.  The  first  was  stored  with  heaps  of  pearls,  as  large  as 
pigeons'  eggs.  In  the  second  treasury  there  were  diamonds  and 
rubies;  in  the  third,  emeralds;  in  the  fourth,  bars  of  gold;  in 
the  fifth,  money;  in  the  sixth,  bars  of  silver;  and  in  the  two  fol- 
lowing, money.  The  rest  contained  vast  quantities  of  precious, 
stones  of  all  kinds.  Thus  I  went,  day  by  day,  through  these 
various  wonders.  Thirty-nine  days  gave  me  but  just  as  much 
time  as  was  necessary  to  open  ninety-nine  doors,  and  to  admire 
all  that  I  saw,  so  that  there  was  only  the  hundredth  door  left, 
which  I  was  forbidden  to  open. 

The  fortieth  day  after  the  departure  of  the  princesses  now  ar- 
rived, and  if  I  had  been  wise  as  I  ought  to  have  been  I  should 
this  day  be  the  happiest  of  mankind,  whereas  now  I  am  the 
most  unhappy.  But  through  my  weakness,  which  I  shall  ever 
repent,  and  through  the  temptations  of  an  evil  spirit,  I  opened 
that  fatal  door.  Before  I  moved  my  foot  to  enter,  a  smell, 
pleasant  enough,  but  too  powerful  for  my  senses,  made  me  faint 
away.  I  soon  recovered  and  entering,  I  found  myself  in  a  great 
room,  which  was  lighted  by  several  large  tapers  placed  in  candle- 
sticks of  solid  gold.  My  attention  was  attracted  by  a  black 
horse,  of  the  most  perfecUshape  and  beauty.  Going  near  him 
in  order  the  better  to  observe  him,  I  found  he  had  on  a  saddle 
and  bridle  of  massive  gold,  curiously  made.  One  part  of  his 
manger  was  filled  with  clean  barley,  and  the  other  with  rose 
water.  I  laid  hold  of  his  bridle,  and, led  him  out  of  his  stable. 
Then  I  mounted  his  back  and  endeavored  to  make  him  move, 


49 

but  as  he  did  not  stir,  I  struck  him  with  a  switch  I  had  found 
in  the  stable.  The  moment  he  felt  the  blow,  he  began  to  neigh 
in  a  most  horrible  manner,  and  spreading  out  his  wings,  which  I 
had  not  before  noticed,  he  flew  up  with  me  into  the  air. 

In  a  little  while  he  descended  to  the  earth,  and,  lighting  upon 
the  terrace  of  a  palace,  shook  me  out  of  the  saddle  with  such 
force  as  to  throw  me  behind  him,  and  with  the  end  of  his  tail 
he  struck  out  my  eye.  He  then  flew  away,  and  I  got  up,  much 
vexed  at  the  misfortune  I  had  brought  upon  myself.  I  walked 
upon  the  terrace,  covering  my  eye  with  one  of  my  hands,  for  it 
pained  me  greatly,  and  I  then  descended,  and  entered  into  a 
hall.  Here  I  saw  ten  sofas  in  a  circle  and  an  eleventh  in  the 
middle,  lower  than  the  rest,  and  so  I  found  that  I  was  in  the 
castle  from  which  I  had  been  carried  away  by  the  roc. 

The  ten  young  men  were  not  surprised  to  see  me,  or  to  find 
that  I  had  lost  my  eye.  One  of  them  said,  "  We  are  sorry  that 
we  cannot  welcome  you  as  we  could  wish,  but  we  are  not  the 
cause  of  your  misfortune.  All  that  has  happened  to  you  we  also 
have  suffered.  Each  of  us  had  the  same  pleasures  during  a 
year,  and  we  would  be  still  enjoying  them  if  we  had  not  opened 
the  golden  door  when  the  princesses  were  absent.  You  have 
been  no  wiser  than  we,  and  have  got  the  same  punishment.  We 
would  gladly  receive  you  into  our  company,  but  we  have  already 
stated  to  you  the  reasons  why  we  cannot  do  so.  Depart,  there- 
fore, and  go  to  Bagdad,  where  you  will  meet  with  a  person  who 
may  help  you."  They  then  showed  me  the  road  by  which  I  was 
to  go,  and  I  immediately  set  off.  On  the  way  I  caused  my  face 
and  eyebrows  to  be  shaved,  and  I  put  on  a  calender's  dress. 
I  had  a  long  journey,  but  at  last  I  arrived,  and  this  evening  met 
these  calenders  at  the  gate.  We  were  surprised  at  one  another, 
seeing  that  we  were  all  blind  of  the  same  eye,  but  we  had  not 
leisure  to  talk  long  about  our  misfortunes.  We  have  only  had 
time  to  bring  us  here  to  beg  the  kindness  which  you  have  gen- 
erously granted  us. 

The  third  calender  having  thus  finished  his  story,  Zobeide  said 

ARABIAN  NIGHTS  —  4 


50 

to  him  and  his  fellow-calenders,  "  Go  wherever  you  think  proper; 
you  are  at  liberty."  .But  one  of  them  answered,  "  Madam,  \ve 
beg  you  to  permit  us  to  wait  until  we  hear  the  stories  of  your 
other  guests  who  have  not  yet  spoken. ' '  Then  the  lady  turned 
to  the  caliph,  the  vizier  Giafar,  and  Mesrour,  and  said  to  them, 
"  It  is  now  your  turn  to  tell  your  adventures;  therefore  speak." 

The  grand  vizier,  who  had  all  along  been  the  spokesman, 
answered  Zobeide,  telling  her  what  he  had  told  Safie  before  she 
admitted  them  to  the  house.  Zobeide  then  said,  "  Well,  I  par- 
don you  all,  provided  you  immediately  depart."  Then  the  ca- 
liph, the  vizier,  Mesrour,  the  three  calenders,  and  the  porter, 
departed.  As  soon  as  they  had  left  the  house,  and  the  gate  was 
closed  after  them,  the  caliph  said  to  the  calenders,  without 
making  himself  known,  "  Gentlemen,  which  way  do  you  intend 
to  go  ?  "  They  replied  that  they  did  not  know  where  to  go. 
"  Follow  us,"  said  the  caliph,  "  and  we  will  convey  you  out  of 
danger."  He  then  whispered  to  the  vizier,  "  Take  them  along 
with  you,  and  to-morrow  morning  bring  them  to  me."  The 
vizier  Giafar,  therefore,  took  the  three  calenders  with  him,  the 
porter  went  to  his  own  home,  and  the  caliph  and  Mesrour 
returned  to  the  palace. 

On  the  following  morning  the  sultan  Haroun  Alraschid  arose, 
and,  going  to  his  council  chamber,  sat  upon  his  throne.  The 
grand  vizier  entered  soon  afterwards,  and  paid  his  respects.  Then 
the  caliph  said,  "Vizier,  go  bring  those  ladies  here,  and  the 
calenders;  make  haste  and  I  shall  wait  your  return."  The  vizier 
hastened  to  obey,  and  soon  he  conducted  them  to  the  palace. 

When  the  ladies  arrived,  the  caliph  turned  towards  them  and 
said,  "  I  was  last  night  in  your  house,  dressed  in  a  merchant's 
garb,  but  I  am  now  Haroun  Alraschid,  and  hold  the  place  of  our 
great  prophet.  I  have  sent  for  you  to  know  who  you  are,  and 
to  ask  you  for  what  reason  one  of  you,  after  severely  whipping 
the  two  black  dogs,  wept  with  them.  I  wish  also  to  know  why 
another  of  you  is  so  full  of  scars. ' '  Upon  hearing  these  words, 
Zobeide  thus  told  her  story: 


STORY  OF  ZOBEIDE. 

Commander  of  the  Faithful,  my  story  is  truly  wonderful.  The 
two  black  dogs  and  myself  are  sisters  by  the  same  father  and 
mother.  The  two  ladies  who  are  now  here,  Amina  and  Sane,  are 
also  my  sisters,  but  by  another  mother.  After  our  father's  death 
the  property  that  he  left  was  divided,  equally  among  us.  My 
two  half-sisters  left  me,  that  they  might  live  with  their  mother. 
My  two  sisters  and  myself  resided  with  our  own  mother.  At  her 
death  she  left  us  three  thousand  pieces  of  gold  each.  Shortly 
after  my  sisters  received  their  shares  they  married,  but  their 
husbands  spent  all  the  money  and  then  put  them  away.  I  re- 
ceived them  into  my  house,  and  gave  them  a  share  of  all  my 
goods.  At  the  end  of  a  twelvemonth,  they  resolved  to  marry 
again,  and  did  so.  After  some  months  .they  returned  in  the  same 
poor  condition  as  before,  and  I  again  admitted  them  to  live  with 
me,  and  we  dwelt  together  for  the  space  of  a  year.  I  now  re- 
solved to  go  into  business.  For  this  purpose  I  went  with  my 
two  sisters  to  Bussorah,  where  I  bought  a  ship  ready  fitted  for 
sea,  and  loaded  her  with  goods  I  had  taken  with  me  from  Bag- 
dad. We  set  sail  with  a  fair  wind,  and  soon  cleared  the  Persian 
Gulf.  When  we  reached  the  open  sea,  we  steered  our  course  to 
India,  and,  on  the  twentieth  day,  saw  land.  It  was  a  very  high 
mountain,  at  the  foot  of  which  there  was  a  great  town.  We 
soon  reached  the  harbor,  and  cast  anchor. 

I  had  not  patience  to  wait  till  my  sisters  were  dressed  to  go 
along  with  me,  but  went  ashore  alone  in  a  boat.  Going  directly 
to  the  gate  of  the  town,  I  saw  there  a  great  number  of  men  upon 
guard,  some  sitting,  and  others  standing  with  weapons  in  their 
hands.  They  had  such  dreadful  countenances  that  I  was  greatly 
alarmed,  but  seeing  that  they  remained  perfectly  still  and  did 
not  so  much  as  move  their  eyes,  I  took  courage,  and  went  nearer, 
when  I  found  they  all  appeared  to  be  made  of  stone.  I  entered 
the  town  and  passed  through  several  streets,  where  at  different 
places  men  stood  in  various  positions,  but  all  motionless,  for  they 


52 

also  had  been  converted  into  black  stone.      In  the  same  way  I 
found  the  merchants  in  the  shops.     They  were  all  men  of  stone. 

Coming  to  a  vast  square,  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  I  saw  a 
large  folding  gate,  covered  with  plates  of  gold,  which  stood  open. 
A  curtain  of  silk  was  drawn  before  it,  and  a  lamp  hung  over  the 
entrance.  After  I  had  examined  the  building,  I  felt  sure  that  it  was 
the  palace  of  the  prince  who  reigned  over  that  country,  and  being 
much  astonished  that  I  had  not  met  with  one  living  creature,  I 
approached  in  hopes  to  find  some.  I  lifted  up  the  curtain,  but 
saw  no  one  except  the  guards  in  the  porch,  all  apparently  stone. 

I  then  went  into  a  room  richly  furnished.  There  I  saw  a  lady 
in  the  form  of  a  statue  of  stone.  The  crown  of  gold  on  her 
head,  and  a  necklace  of  pearls  about  her  neck,  each  as  large  as  a 
nut,  showed  her  to  have  been  a  queen.  I  left  the  chamber  where 
the  stone  queen  was,  and  passed  through  several  other  chambers 
richly  furnished,  and  at  last  came  into  a  large  room,  where  there 
was  a  throne  of  gold,  enriched  with  emeralds,  and  upon  the 
throne  was  a  bed  of  rich  stuff  embroidered  with  pearls.  What 
surprised  me  most  was  a  sparkling  light  above  the  bed.  Wishing 
to  know  where  it  came  from,  I  ascended  the  steps,  and  lifting  up 
my  head  I  saw  a  diamond  as  large  as  the  egg  of  an  ostrich,  lying 
upon  a  low  stool.  It  was  so  pure  that  I  could  not  find  the  least 
flaw  in  it,  and  it  sparkled  so  much  that  it  almost  dazzled  my  eyes. 
At  the  head  of  the  bed  there  stood  on  each  side  a  lighted  torch, 
for  what  use  I  could  not  understand;  but  it  made  me  think  that 
there  must  be  some  one  living  in  the  place,  for  I  could  not  believe 
that  the  torches  continued  burning  of  themselves. 

The  doors  being  all  open,  I  examined  some  other  rooms  that 
were  as  beautiful  as  those  I  had  already  seen.  The  wonders 
that  everywhere  appeared  engaged  my  attention  so  much  that  I 
forgot  my  ship  and  my  sisters.  In  the  mean  time  night  came 
on,  and  I  tried  to  return  by  the  way  I  had  entered,  but  I  could 
not  find  it.  I  lost  myself  among  the  apartments,  and  seeing 
that  I  had  come  back  to  the  large  room,  where  the  throne,  the 
couch,  the  large  diamond,  and  the  torches  were,  I  resolved  to 


53 

take  my  night's  lodging  there,  and  to  go  the  next  morning  early 
to  my  ship.  I  laid  myself  down  upon  a  costly  couch,  not  with- 
out some  dread  to  be  alone  in  such  a  place,  and  this  fear  kept 
me  from  sleeping. 

About  midnight  I  heard  a  man  reading  the  Koran,  in  a  chant- 
ing tone,  as  it  is  read  in  our  mosques.  I  immediately  arose, 
and,  taking  a  torch  in  my  hand,  passed  from  one  chamber  to 
another,  in  the  direction  from  which  the  voice  came;  until, 
looking  through  a  window,  I  found  it  to  be  an  oratory.  It  had, 
as  we  have  in  our  mosques,  a  niche,  to  show  us  where  we  are  to 
turn  to  say  our  prayers.  There  were  also  lamps  hung  up,  and 
two  candlesticks  with  large  tapers  of  white  wax  burning.  I  saw 
a  little  carpet  laid  down  like  those  we  have  to  kneel  upon  when 
we  say  our  prayers,  and  a  handsome  young  man  sat  on  this  carpet 
reading  the  Koran,  which  lay  before  him  on  a  desk.  At  this 
sight  I  was  much  surprised.  I  wondered  how  it  was  that  he 
should  be  the  only  living  person  in  the  town,  and  I  felt  sure  that 
there  was  something  extraordinary  in  it. 

The  door  being  only  half  shut  I  opened  it,  went  in,  and  stand- 
ing upright  before  the  niche,  I  exclaimed,  "  Praise  be  to  God." 
The  young  man  turned  towards  me,  and  after  saluting  me,  asked 
what  had  brought  me  to  this  desolate  city.  I  told  him  in  a  few 
words  my  history,  and  I  prayed  him  to  tell  me  why  he  alone  was 
left  alive  in  the  midst  of  such  desolation.  At  these  words  he 
shut  the  Koran,  put  it  into  a  rich  case,  laid  it  in  the  niche,  and 
then  gave  me  the  following  account  of  himself : 

"  This  city  was  the  capital  of  a  mighty  kingdom,  over  which 
the  sultan,  who  was  my  father,  reigned.  He,  his  wrhole  court, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  all  his  other  subjects,  \vere  \vor- 
shipers  of  fire  instead  of  God.  But  I  had  the  good  fortune 
in  my  youth  to  have  a  nurse  who  was  a  good  Mussulman,  believing 
in  God,  and  in  His  prophet.  '  Dear  prince, '  she  would  often 
say,  '  there  is  but  one  true  God;  take  heed  that  you  do  not 
adore  any  other.'  She  taught  me  to  read  Arabic,  and  the  book 
she  gave  me  to  study  was  the  Koran.  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to 


54  : 

understand  it,  she  explained  to  me  all  the  parts  of  this  excellent 
book,  unknown  to  my  father  or  any  other  person.  She  died, 
but  not  before  she  had  perfectly  taught  me  the  Mussulman 
religion.  About  three  years  ago,  a  thundering  voice  suddenly 
sounded  through  the  whole  city,  and  it  was  so  loud  that  nobody 
could  miss  hearing  it.  The  words  it  uttered  were  these :  '  Inhab- 
itants, give  up  the  worship  of  fire,  and  worship  the  only  God  who 
shows  mercy.'  This  voice  was  heard  three  years  one  after 
another,  yet  no  one  was  converted.  But  on  the  last  day  of  the  last 
year,  at  the  dawn  of  morning,  all  the  inhabitants  were  changed 
in  an  instant  into  stone,  every  one  in  the  condition  they  hap- 
pened to  be  in  at  the  moment.  The  sultan,  my  father,  and  the 
queen,  my  mother,  shared  the  same  fate.  I  am  the  only 
person  who  did  not  suffer  that  heavy  punishment,  and  ever  since 
I  have  continued  to  serve  God  with  more  zeal  than  before. 
I  am  quite  sure,  dear  lady,  that  He  has  sent  you  here  for  my 
comfort,  and  I  give  Him  thanks,  for  I  have  become  weary  of 
this  lonely  life. ' ' 

On  hearing  these  words,  I  said,  "  Prince,  who  can  doubt  that 
God  has  brought  me  into  your  city  to  help  you  to  get  away 
from  this  place  ?  I  am  a  lady  of  Bagdad,  where  I  have  property, 
and  I  promise  you  a  home  there,  until  the  mighty  Commander 
of  the  Faithful  shows  you  the  honor  that  you  deserve.  This 
great  prince  lives  at  Bagdad,  and  as  soon  as  he  hears  of  your  ar- 
rival in  his  capital,  he  will  quickly  assist  you.  Stay  no  longer  in 
a  city  where  you  can  have  no  happiness.  My  vessel  is  at  your 
service. ' '  He  accepted  the  offer,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  day  we 
left  the  palace,  and  went  aboard  my  ship,  where  we  found  my 
sisters,  the  captain,  and  •  the  slaves,  all  much  troubled  at  my 
absence.  After  I  had  introduced  my  sisters  to  the  prince,  I 
told  them  his  story,  and  the  cause  of  the  desolation  of  the  city. 

The  seamen  were  employed  several  days  in  unloading  the  ves- 
sel of  the  merchandise  I  had  brought  with  me,  and  putting  in 
its  stead  many  of  the  precious  things  in  the  palace,  especially 
jewels,  gold,  and  money.  After  we  had  loaded  the  vessel  we 


55 

took  provisions  and  water  aboard  for  our  voyage,  and  at  last  we 
set  sail  with  a  favorable  wind. 

The  young  prince,  my  sisters,  and  myself  passed  our  time  very 
agreeably  for  a  little  while.  But  soon  my  sisters  grew  jealous  of 
the  friendship  between  the  prince  and  me,  and  spitefully  asked 
me  one  day  what  we  should  do  with  him  when  we  came  to 
Bagdad.  Meaning  to  put  this  question  off  with  a  joke,  I 
answered,  ' '  I  will  take  him  for  my  husband. ' '  The  prince,  hear- 
ing my  answer,  then  said,  "  I  know  not,  madam,  whether  you 
are  in  jest  or  not,  but  for  my  part,  I  declare  before  these  ladies, 
your  sisters,  that  I  heartily  accept  your  offer  to  be  my  wife." 
At  these  words  my  sisters  changed  color,  and  I  could  see  after- 
wards that  they  did  not  love  me  as  before. 

We  entered  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  had  come  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  Bussorah,  where  I  hoped  we  might  arrive  the  day  follow- 
ing, when,  in  the  night,  while  I  was  asleep,  my  sisters  watched 
their  opportunity  and  threw  me  overboard.  They  did  the  same 
to  the  prince,  who  was  drowned.  I  floated  some  minutes  on  the 
water,  and  by  good  fortune  I  felt  ground.  I  went  towards  a 
dark  spot  that  seemed  to  be  land,  and  when  day  appeared,  I 
found  that  it  was  a  desert  island,  lying  about  twenty  miles  from 
Bussorah.  I  soon  dried  my  clothes  in  the  sun,  and  as  I  walked 
along  I  found  several  kinds  of  fruit,  and  also  fresh  water,  which 
gave  me  some  hope  of  preserving  my  life. 

I  had  just  laid  myself  down  to  rest  in  a  shade,  when  I  saw  a 
very  large  winged  serpent  coming  towards  me,  with  waving  move- 
ment, and  hanging  out  its  tongue,  which  made  me  believe  it  had 
received  some  injury.  I  instantly  arose,  and  saw  that  it  was  pur- 
sued by  a  larger  serpent  which  had  hold  of  its  tail,  and  was  trying 
to  devour  it.  The  perilous  situation  of  the  first  serpent  moved 
my  pity,  and  instead  of  running  away  I  took  up  a  stone  that  lay 
near  me,  and,  throwing  it  with  all  my  strength  at  its  pursuer,  hit  it 
upon  the  head  and  killed  it.  The  other,  finding  itself  at  liberty, 
flew  away.  I  looked  after  it  for  some  time  till  it  disappeared. 
I  then  found  another  shady  spot  and  lay  down  and  fell  asleep. 


56 

When  I  awoke  I  was  surprised  to  see  standing  by  me  a  black 
woman  of  agreeable  features,  who  held  with  her  hand  two  dogs  of 
the  same  color,  fastened  together.  I  sat  up,  and  asked  her  who 
she  was.  "  I  am, ' '  said  she,  "  the  serpent  you  lately  saved,  and  I 
wish  to  reward  you  for  the  service  you  have  done  me.  These 
two  black  dogs  are  your  sisters.  I  have  changed  them  into  this 
shape.  But  such  punishment  is  not  enough,  and  my  will  is  that 
you  treat  them  hereafter  in  the  way  I  shall  direct." 

As  soon  as  she  had  thus  spoken  she  took  me  under  one  of  her 
arms,  and  the  two  black  dogs  under  the  other,  and  carried  us  to 
my  house  in  Bagdad.  I  found  in  my  storehouses  all  the  riches 
with  which  my  vessel  had  been  loaded.  Before  she  left  me,  she 
gave  me  the  two  dogs  and  said,  "  If  you  do  not  want  to  be 
changed  into  the  same  form  yourself,  you  must  give  each  of  your 
sisters  every  night  one  hundred  lashes  with  a  rod,  as  punish- 
ment for  the  crime  they  have  committed  against  yourself  and  the 
young  prince  whom  they  have  drowned. ' '  I  was  forced  to 
promise  obedience.  Since  that  time  I  have  whipped  them  every 
night,  though  with  regret,  as  your  Majesty  has  seen.  My  tears 
show  with  how  much  sorrow  I  perform  this  painful  duty.  If 
there  be  anything  else  about  me  that  you  wish  to  know,  my 
sister  Safie  will  tell  you  in  her  story. 

The  caliph  heard  Zobeide  with  much  astonishment,  and  then 
he  ordered  his  grand  vizfer  to  request  Safie  to  tell  him  why  she 
was  disfigured  with  so  many  scars. 


STORY  OF  SAFIE. 

Commander  of  the  Faithful,  after  my  father's  death,  my 
mother,  having  taken  a  house  to  pass  her  widowhood  in  private, 
gave  me  in  marriage  to  the  heir  of  one  of  the  richest  men  in 
this  city.  I  had  not  been  married  a  year  when  my  husband 
died.  I  thus  became  a  widow,  and  was  in  possession  of  all  his 
property,  which  amounted  to  above  ninety  thousand  pieces  of 


57 

gold.  When  the  first  six  months  of  my  mourning  were  over,  I  got 
ten  dresses  made  for  myself,  and  they  were  so  magnificent  that 
each  cost  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  At  the  end  of  the  year  I 
began  to  wear  them. 

One  day,  while  I  was  alone,  a  lady  called  at  my  house  saying 
that  she  wished  to  speak  to  me.  I  gave  orders  that  she  should 
be  admitted.  She  was  a  rery  old  woman.  She  saluted  me  by 
kissing  the  ground,  and  said  to  me,  kneeling,  "  Dear  lady,  I  have 
an  orphan  daughter,  whose  wedding  is  to-night.  She  and  I  are 
strangers,  and  have  no  friends  in  this  town.  Therefore,  if  you 
will  honor  the  wedding  with  your  presence,  we  shall  be  greatly 
obliged,  because  the  family  into  which  my  daughter  is  to  be 
married  will  then  think  that  we  are  respected  here.  But  if  you 
refuse  this  request,  we  will  be  greatly  disappointed,  since  we 
know  not  where  else  to  apply. ' ' 

This  poor  woman's  words,  which  she  spoke  with  tears  in  her 
eyes,  moved  my  pity.  "  Good  woman,"  said  I,  "  I  will  grant 
you  the  favor  you  desire.  Tell  me  where  I  must  go,  and  I  will 
meet  you  as  soon  as  I  am  dressed. ' '  The  old  woman  was  so  re- 
joiced at  my  answer  that  she  kissed  my  feet  before  I  had  time 
to  prevent  her.  "  Good  lady,"  said  she,  rising,  "  God  will 
reward  your  kindness  and  make  your  heart  as  joyful  as  you  have 
made  mine.  I  will  call  for  you  in  the  evening. ' '  As  soon  as 
she  was  gone,  I  took  the  dress  I  liked  best,  with  a  necklace  of 
large  pearls,  bracelets,  pendants  for  my  ears,  and  rings  set  with 
the  finest  diamonds,  and  prepared  to  attend  the  wedding. 

When  the  night  closed  in,  the  old  woman  called  upon  me, 
with  a  face  full  of  joy,  and  said,  "  Dear  lady,  the  relations  of 
my  son-in-law,  who  are  the  first  ladies  of  the  city,  are  now  met 
together.  You  may  come  when  you  please;  I  am  ready  to  con- 
duct you. ' '  We  immediately  set  out.  She  walked  before  me,  and 
I  was  followed  by  a  number  of  my  women  and  slaves,  richly  dressed 
for  the  occasion.  We  stopped  in  a  wide  street,  newly  swept  and 
watered,  at  a  large  gate  with  a  lamp,  by  the  light  of  which  I  read 
these  words  in  golden  letters  over  the  entrance:  "  This  is  the 


58 

continual  abode  of  pleasure  and  joy."  The  old  woman  knocked, 
and  the  gate  was  opened  immediately. 

I  was  led  towards  the  lower  end  of  the  court,  into  a  large  hall, 
where  I  was  received  by  a  young  lady  of  great  beauty.  She 
made  me  sit  down  by  her  upon  a  sofa,  on  which  was  a  throne  of 
precious  wood  set  with  diamonds.  "  Madam,"  said  she,  "  you 
are  brought  here  to  assist  at  a  wedding,  but  I  hope  it  will  be  a 
different  wedding  from  what  you  expected.  I  have  a  brother, 
one  of  the  handsomest  men  in  the  world,  and  he  will  be  the 
unhappiest  of  men  if  you  do  not  consent  to  be  his  wife." 

Now  after  the  death  of  my  husband  I  had  not  thought  of 
marrying  again,  but  I  could  not  refuse  the  request  of  so  charm- 
ing a  lady.  As  soon  as  I  had  given  consent  by  my  silence,  the 
young  lady  clapped  her  hands  and  immediately  a  curtain  was 
withdrawn,  and  out  came  a  young  man  of  so  beautiful  a  counte- 
nance that  I  felt  happy  at  the  thought  of  having  such  a  husband. 
He  sat  down  by  me,  and  I  found  from  his  conversation  that  he 
was  better  even  than  he  had  been  described  by  his  sister.  When 
she  saw  that  we  were  satisfied  with  one  another,  she  clapped  her 
hands  a  second  time,  and  a  magistrate  with  four  witnesses 
entered,  who  wrote  and  signed  our  contract  of  marriage.  There 
was  only  one  condition  that  my  husband  asked  me  to  agree  to, 
and  that  was  that  I  should  not  speak  to  any  other  man  but  him- 
self; and  he  declared  that  if  I  would  observe  this'  I  should  have 
no  reason  to  complain  of  him. 

About  a  month  after  our  marriage,  I  had  occasion  to  go  out  to 
buy  some  dress  stuffs,  and  I  took  with  me  two  of  my  own  female 
slaves  and  the  old  woman  of  whom  I  spoke  before,  she  being  one 
of  the  family.  When  we  came  to  the  street  where  the  merchants 
reside,  the  old  v/oman  said,  "  Dear  mistress,  since  you  want  silk 
stuffs,  I  must  take  you  to  a  young  merchant  of  my  acquaintance, 
who  has  a  great  variety,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  you  will  find 
in  his  store  what  no  other  can  furnish."  I  agreed,  and  we 
entered  the  shop  of  the  young  merchant.  I  sat  down,  and  bade 
the  old  woman  desire  him  to  show  me  the  finest  silk  stuffs  he 


59 

had.  The  woman  told  me  to  speak  myself,  but  I  said  that  ac- 
cording to  my  promise  at  marriage  I  must  not  speak  to  any  man 
but  my  husband. 

The  merchant  showed  me  several  stuffs,  one  of  which  pleased 
me  better  than  the  rest,  and  I  bade  her  ask  the  price.  He 
answered  the  old  woman,  saying,  "  1  will  not  sell  it  for  gold  or 
money,  but  I  will  make  her  a  present  of  it  if  she  will  give  me 
leave  to  kiss  her  cheek. ' '  I  ordered  the  old  woman  to  tell  him 
that  he  was  very  rude  to  ask  such  a  thing.  But  instead  of  obey- 
ing me  she  said,  "  What  the  merchant  asks  is  no  such  great  mat- 
ter; you  need  not  speak,  but  only  present  him  your  cheek." 
The  stuff  pleased  me  so  much  that  I  was  foolish  enough  to  take 
her  advice.  The  old  woman  and  my  slaves  stood  up,  that  no- 
body might  see,  and  I  put  up  my  veil,  but  instead  of  kissing  my 
cheek,  the  merchant  bit  me  so  violently  as  to  draw  blood.  I  fell 
down  in  a  swoon,  and  remained  in  that  state  so  long  that  the 
merchant  had  time  to  escape.  When  I  came  to  myself,  I  found 
my  cheek  covered  with  blood.  The  old  woman  and  my  slaves 
took  care  to  cover  it  with  my  veil,  so  that  the  people  who  came 
about  us  could  not  see  it,  but  thought  I  had  a  fainting  fit. 

Then  the  old  woman  tried  to  comfort  me.  "  My  dear  mis- 
tress, "said  she,  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  for  I  am  the  cause  of  this 
misfortune,  having  brought  you  to  this  merchant,  but  I  never 
thought  he  would  be  guilty  of  such  an  action.  However,  do  not 
grieve;  let  us  hasten  home;  I  have  a  remedy  that  shall  in  three 
days  so  perfectly  cure  you  that  not  the  least  mark  shall  be  seen." 
The  fit  made  me  so  weak  that  I  was  scarcely  able  to  walk. 
But  at  last  I  got  home,  where  I  again  fainted,  as  I  went  into  my 
chamber.  Meanwhile,  the  old  woman  made  use  of  her  remedy. 
I  came  to  myself,  and  went  to  bed. 

My  husband  came  to  me  at  night,  and,  seeing  my  head  bound 
up,  asked  me  the  reason.  I  told  him  I  had  the  headache,  which 
I  hoped  would  satisfy  him,  but  he  took  a  candle,  and  saw  my 
cheek  was  hurt.  "  How  comes  this  wound  ?  "  he  said.  Though 
I  did  not  think  myself  guilty  of  any  great  offense,  yet  I  did  not 


6o 

like  to  tell  him  what  had  happened.  I  therefore  said  that  as  I 
was  going  to  purchase  silk,  a  camel,  carrying  a  load  of  wood, 
came  so  near  to  me  in  a  narrow  street  that  one  of  the  sticks  giazed 
my  cheek,  but  had  not  done  me  much  hurt.  "  If  that  is  the 
case,"  said  my  husband,  "  to-morrow  morning  the  grand  vizier, 
Giafar,  shall  be  told  of  this,  and  he  will  cause  all  the  camel  drivers 
to  be  put  to  death."  "  Pray,  sir,"  said  I,  "  let  me  beg  of  you 
to  pardon  them,  for  they  are  not  guilty."  "  How,  madam," 
he  replied,  "  what,  then,  am  I  to  believe?  Speak;  for  I  am 
resolved  to  know  the  truth  from  your  own  mouth."  "  Sir,"  I 
answered,  "I  was  taken  with  a  giddiness  and  fell  down,  and  that 
is  the  whole  matter. ' '  At  these  words  my  husband  lost  all 
patience.  ' '  I  have, ' '  said  he,  ' '  too  long  listened  to  your  tales. ' ' 
As  he  spoke,  he  clapped  his  hands,  and  in  came  three  slaves. 
"  Strike,"  said  he,  "  kill  her  and  then  throw  her  into  the  Tigris. 
This  is  how  I  punish  those  to  whom  I  give  my  heart,  when  they 
break  their  promises." 

I  begged  for  mercy  and  pardon,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  Then 
the  old  woman,  who  had  been  his  nurse,  coming  in  just  at  that 
moment,  fell  down  upon  her  knees,  and  cried  out,  "  My  son, 
since  I  have  been  your  nurse,  and  brought  you  up,  let  me  beg 
you  to  remember  that  '  he  who  kills  shall  be  killed, '  and  that  if 
you  do  this,  you  will  lose  the  respect  of  mankind. ' '  She  spoke 
these  words  in  such  an  earnest  manner,  accompanied  with  tears, 
that  she  caused  him  to  give  up  his  purpose.  "  Well  then,"  said 
he  to  his  nurse,  "  for  your  sake  I  will  spare  her  life,  but  she 
shall  bear  upon  her  person  some  marks  to  make  her  remember 
her  offense. ' '  When  he  had  thus  spoken,  one  of  the  slaves,  by 
his  order,  gave  me  so  many  blows  with  a  cane  that  he  threw  me 
into  a  swoon.  In  this  state  he  caused  the  same  slave  to  carry 
me  into  the  house,  where  the  old  woman  took  care  of  me.  I 
kept  my  bed  for  four  months.  At  last  I  recovered;  but  the 
scars,  as  you  saw  yesterday,  have  remained  ever  since. 

As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  walk,  I  resolved  to  go  back  to  the 
house  which  was  left  me  by  my  first  husband,  but  I  could  not 


6i 

find  even  the  place  where  it  had  stood,  as  my  second  husband 
caused  it  to  be  leveled  to  the  ground.  Being  thus  left  helpless, 
I  went  to  my  dear  sister  Zobeide.  She  received  me  with  kind- 
ness and  advised  me  to  bear  my  trouble  with  patience.  She  gave 
me  an  account  of  the  loss  of  the  young  prince,  her  husband, 
caused  by  the  jealousy  of  her  two  sisters.  She  told  me  also  why 
they  were  changed  into  dogs.  My  youngest  sister  afterwards 
came  to  live  with  her.  We  have  continued  to  live  together  in 
the  same  house  ever  since. 


CONCLUSION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  THE  LADIES  OF  BAGDAD. 

The  caliph  was  astonished  at  this  story,  and  he  ordered  that  it 
be  written  in  a  book  to  be  preserved  in  his  library.  Then  he  said 
to  Zobeide,  ' '  Madam,  did  not  this  fairy  woman  whom  you  saved 
from  the  serpent  tell  you  where  her  place  of  abode  was,  or  that 
she  would  restore  your  sisters  to  their  natural  shape  ?  ' ' 

"  Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  answered  Zobeide,  "  the  fairy 
left  with  me  a  bundle  of  hair,  saying  that  her  presence  would  one 
day  be  of  use  to  me,  and  then  if  I  only  burned  two  tufts  of  this 
hair,  she  would  be  with  me  in  a  moment."  "  Madam,"  asked 
the  caliph,  "  where  is  the  bundle  of  hair?  "  She  answered, 
"  Ever  since  that  time  I  have  been  so  careful  of  it  that  I  always 
carry  it  about  me. ' '  So  she  took  it  out  of  the  case  in  which  she 
kept  it  and  showed  it  to  him.  ' '  Well  then, ' '  said  the  caliph, 
"  let  us  bring  the  fairy  here,  for  I  long  to  see  her." 

Zobeide  having  consented,  fire  was  brought  in,  and  she  threw 
the  whole  bundle  of  hair  into  it.  The  palace  immediately  began 
to  shake,  and  the  fairy  appeared  before  the  caliph  in  the  form  of 
a  lady  very  richly  dressed.  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  said 
she  to  the  prince,  "  I  am  ready  to  receive  your  commands.  At 
your  wish  I  will  restore  these  two  sisters  to  their  former  shape, 
and  I  will  also  cure  this  lady  of  her  scars,  and  tell  you  who  it  was 
that  illtreated  her." 


62 

The  caliph  sent  to  Zobeide's  house  for  the  two  dogs,  and  when 
they  came  a  glass  of  water  was  brought  to  the  fairy  at  her  re- 
quest. She  pronounced  over  it  some  words,  which  nobody  un- 
derstood. Then  she  threw  part  of  it  upon  Sane,  and  the  rest 
upon  the  dogs.  Instantly  the  dogs  became  two  ladies  of  great 
beauty,  and  the  scars  that  were  upon  Safie  disappeared.  After 
this  the  fairy  said  to  the  caliph,  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful, 
I  must  now  tell  you  the  name  of  Safie's  unknown  husband. 
He  is  Prince  Amin,  your  eldest  son,  who  had  this  lady  brought 
to  his  house,  where  he  married  her.  As  to  the  blows  he  caused 
to  be  given  her,  he  is  in  some  measure  to  be  excused,  for  his 
wife,  by  the  tales  she  told,  led  him  to  believe  she  was  more  faulty 
than  she  really  was."  Having  thus  spoken  the  fairy  disappeared. 

The  caliph  was  much  pleased  with  the  changes  that  happened 
through  his  means.  He  then  sent  for  his  son  Amin,  and  told  him 
that  he  now  knew  of  his  secret  marriage,  and  how  he  had  ill- 
treated  Safie  upon  a  very  slight  cause.  The  prince,  at  his 
father's  command,  received  her  again  as  his  wife.  Haroun  Al- 
raschid  then  declared  that  he  would  take  Zobeide  to  be  his  own 
wife,  and  he  gave  the  other  three  sisters  to  the  calenders,  sons 
of  sultans,  who  accepted  them  for  their  brides  with  much  joy. 
The  caliph  also  appointed  the  three  princes  to  high  offices  at  his 
court,  and  he  allotted  them  magnificent  apartments  in  his  pal- 
ace, and  they  all  lived  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  great 
happiness. 

STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

There  was  in  olden  times  in  Damascus  of  Syria  a  caliph  named 
Abdel-Melik,  the  son  of  Marwan.  One  day  as  he  was  sitting  with 
the  great  men  of  his  empire,  many  of  them  being  kings  and  sul- 
tans, a  discussion  took  place  among  them  about  the  tales  of 
ancient  nations.  They  called  to  mind  the  stories  of  Solomon,  the 
son  of  David,  and  the  power  God  gave  him  over  genies  and  wild 
beasts  and  birds  and  other  creatures,  and  they  said,  "  We  have 


63 

heard  from  those  who  lived  before  us  that  God  bestowed  not 
upon  any  one  the  like  of  that  which  he  bestowed  upon  Solomon. 
So  great  was  his  power  that  he  used  to  imprison  genies  and  evil 
spirits  in  bottles  of  brass,  and  pour  molten  lead  over  them,  and 
seal  this  cover  with  his  seal." 

Then  Talib,  one  of  the  sultans,  related  that  a  man  once  em- 
barked in  a  ship  with  a  company  of  others,  and  they  sailed  away 
towards  the  island  of  Sicily,  until  a  storm  arose  which  drove  them 
out  of  their  course  and  carried  them  to  the  shores  of  an  unknown 
land.  This  happened  during  the  darkness  of  the  night.  In  the 
morning  there  came  out  to  them  from  caves  in  that  land,  black 
men  who  wore  no  clothes,  and  who  neither  spoke  nor  understood 
any  language.  They  had  a  king  of  their  own  race,  and  he  knew 
Arabic.  The  king,  with  a  party  of  his  companions,  came  to  the 
ship,  saluted  and  welcomed  those  who  were  in  it,  and  inquired 
who  they  were  and  to  what  country  they  belonged.  When  they 
informed  him,  he  said  to  them,  "  No  harm  shall  befall  you. 
There  hath  not  come  to  us  one  of  the  sons  of  Adam  before 
you. ' ' 

The  king  then  entertained  them  with  a  banquet,  and  after  this 
the  people  of  the  ship  went  to  amuse  themselves  on  the  shore. 
There  they  found  a  fisherman  who  had  cast  his  net  into  the  sea 
to  catch  fish.  He  drew  the  net  up,  and  in  it  was  a  bottle  of 
brass  stopped  with  lead,  which  was  sealed  with  the  seal  of  Solo- 
mon, the  son  of  David.  The  fisherman  broke  the  seal,  and  there 
came  forth  from  the  bottle  a  blue  smoke  which  united  with  the 
clouds  of  heaven,  and  instantly  they  heard  a  horrible  voice  say- 
ing, "  Repentance!  repentance!  O  prophet  of  God!  "  Then 
they  saw  the  smoke  formed  into  a  man  of  frightful  appearance  and 
gigantic  size,  whose  head  reached  as  high  ?s  a  mountain,  and  im- 
mediately he  disappeared  from  before  their  eyes. 

The  blacks  thought  nothing  of  this  event,  but  the  people  of.  the 
ship  were  terrified  at  the  spectacle,  and  they  went  to  the  king 
to  inquire  about  it.  In  answer  to  their  inquiries  the  king  said, 
"  This  is  one  of  the  genies  who  rebelled  against  King  Solomon, 


Drawn  by  A.  I.  Keller. 


(64) 


THE  GENIE  OF  THE  BOTTLE. 


65 

and  Solomon,  to  punish  them,  imprisoned  them  in  bottles  and 
threw  them  into  the  sea.  When  the  fisherman  casts  his  net,  it  gen- 
erally brings  up  one  of  these  bottles,  and  when  the  bottle  is  broken, 
a  genie  comes  forth,  and  thinking  that  Solomon  is  still  living,  he 
repents  and  cries  out,  ' '  Repentance !  0  Prophet  of  God !  ' ' 

The  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Abdel-Melik,  wondered  very 
much  at  this  story,  and  he  said,  "  I  desire  to  see  some  of  these 
bottles."  Tajib  replied,  "  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  thou  canst 
do  so.  Send  to  thy  viceroy  in  the  western  country,  the  Emeer 
Moosa,  ordering  him  to  journey  to  the  sea  we  have  mentioned,, 
and  to  bring  what  thou  desirest  of  these  bottles."  The  Prince 
of  the  Faithful  approved  of  this  advice,  and  he  sent  Talib  him- 
self with  a  letter  to  the  Emeer  Moosa. 

When  the  Emeer  received  the  letter  he  read  it,  and  he 
said  to  Talib,  "  I  hear  and  obey  the  command  of  the  Prince  of 
the  Faithful."  Then  he  called  together  his  great  men,  and  he 
inquired  of  them  about  the  bottles  of  King  Solomon,  and  they  told 
him  to  send  for  Abdes-Samad,  "  for,"  said  they,  "he  is  a 
knowing  man  and  has  traveled  much.  He  is  acquainted  with  the 
deserts  and  wastes  and  the  seas,  and  their  inhabitants,  and  their 
wonders,  and  their  countries,  and  their  districts.  Send  for  him, 
and  he  will  direct  thee  to  the  object  of  thy  desire. "  So  the 
Emeer  sent  for  Abdes-Samad,  and  when  he  came  he  said  to  him, 
"  O  Abdes-Samad,  our  lord  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  has  com- 
manded us  to  get  for  him  some  of  the  bottles  of  Solomon.  I  have 
little  knowledge  of  the  place  where  they  are  to  be  found,  but  it 
has  been  told  to  me  that  thou  art  acquainted  with  that  country 
and  the  routes.  Wilt  thou  then  help  us  to  accomplish  the  wish  of 
the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  ?  "  To  this  Abdes-Samad  replied,  "O 
Emeer,  the  route  is  difficult,  far  extending,  and  there  are  few 
tracks.  It  is  a  journey  of  two  years  going  and  the  same  return- 
ing, and  on  the  way  there  are  dangers  and  horrors  and  extra- 
ordinary and  wonderful  things.  Nevertheless,  since  it  is  the  wish 
of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  I  am  willing  to  undertake  the 
journey  with  thee." 

ARABIAN  NIGHTS  —  5 


66 

Then  they  began  to  make  preparations,  and  as  soon  as  every- 
thing was  ready,  the  Emeer  Moosa  and  Talib  and  Abdes- 
Samad  set  forth,  accompanied  by  a  troop  of  soldiers,  and  taking 
with  them  all  things  necessary  for  their  expedition.  They 
journeyed  on  till  they  came  to  a  great  palace.  As  the  gates 
were  open,  and  they  saw  no  guards  at  the  doors,  they  dismounted 
from  their  horses  and  entered.  The  rooms  were  all  of  vast  size 
and  richly  furnished,  and  the  ceilings  and  walls  were  decorated 
with  gold  and  silver,  but  in  the  whole  building  they  did  not  see 
a  single  human  being.  In  the  midst  of  the  palace  was  a  chamber 
covered  with  a  lofty  dome,  rising  high  into  the  air,  around  which 
were  four  hundred  tombs.  They  went  into  one  chamber,  and 
they  found  in  it  a  table  with  four  feet  made  of  alabaster,  and 
having  this  inscription  engraved  on  it : 

"  Upon  this  table  a  thousand  one-eyed  kings  have  eaten, 
and  a  thousand  kings  each  sound  in  both  eyes.  All 
of  them  have  quitted  the  world  and  taken  up  their 
abode  in  the  burial  grounds  and  the  graves." 

The  Emeer  Moosa  and  his  companions  took  this  table  with 
them  and  went  forth  from  the  palace.  Then  they  proceeded  on 
their  journey  a»d  traveled  for_three  days,  when  they  came  to 
a  high  hill.  On  the  top  of  the  hill  was  a  horseman  of  brass  with 
a  spear  in  his  hand.  The  spear  had  a  flat,  wide  head,  and  it 
was  so  bright  that  it  almost  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  Emeer 
and  his  companions.  Nevertheless  they  looked  at  it  closely, 
and  they  were  astonished  at  finding  the  following  words  in- 
scribed upon  it : 

"  O  thou  who  comest  unto  me,  if  thou  know  not  the  way 
that  leads  to  the  City  of  Brass,  rub  the  hand  of  'the 
horseman,  and  he  will  turn,  and  then  will  stop,  and 
in  whatever  direction  he  faces  when  he  stops,  travel 
in  that  direction  without  fear,  for  it  will  lead  thee  to 
the  City  of  Brass. ' ' 


6; 

When  he  read  this  the  Emeer  Moosa  rubbed  the  hand  of  the 
horseman.  Immediately  the  figure  turned  round  with  the  speed 
of  lightning,  and  when  it  stopped  it  faced  a  different  direction 
from  that  in  which  they  had  been  traveling.  The  party  therefore 
turned  to  the  way  pointed  out  by  the  brazen  horseman,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  their  journey.  One  day  they  came  to  a  round  pillar  of 
black  stone,  on  the  top  of  which  appeared  the  upper  half  of  the 
body  of  a  black  giant,  or  genie,  with  the  lower  part  sunk  down  in 
the  pillar.  He  was  an  object  frightful  to  behold.  He  had  two 
huge  wings  and  four  arms.  Two  of  the  arms  were  like  those  of 
a  man,  and  the  other  two  were  like  the  legs  of  a  lion.  He  had 
hair  upon  his  head  like  the  tails  of  horses,  two  eyes  like  two  burn- 
ing coals,  and  he  had  a  third  eye  in  his  forehead,  like  the  eye 
of  a  lynx,  from  which  sparks  of  fire  shot  forth. 

When  the  Emeer  Moosa' s  party  saw  this  genie  they  almost  lost 
their  senses  through  fear,  and  they  turned  round  to  flee  away, 
but  the  Emeer  told  them  that  in  the  state  in  which  he  was  he 
could  do  them  no  harm.  Then  Abdes-Samad  drew  near  to  the 
pillar,  and  raising  his  voice  he  said  to  the  genie,  "  O  thou  person, 
what  is  thy  name,  what  is  thy  nature,  and  what  has  placed  thee 
here  in  this  manner  ?  "  Immediately  the  genie  answered  saying, 
"  I  am  a  genie  and  my  name  is  Dahish.  My  story  is  wonderful, 
and  it  is  this : ' ' 


STORY  OF  THE  GENIE  IN  THE  PILLAR. 

There  belonged  to  one  of  the  sons  of  Iblees,  the  king  of  the 
Evil  Genies,  an  idol  of  red  carnelian,  of  which  I  was  made 
guardian.  One  of  the  kings  of  the  sea  and  his  daughter  used  to 
worship  this  idol.  The  daughter  was  a  maiden,  the  most  beautiful 
in  the  world,  and  when  King  Solomon  heard  of  her  beauty  he 
sent  to  her  father,  saying  to  him,  "Give  me  thy  daughter  in  mar- 
riage, and  break  thy  idol  and  worship  the  true  God.  If  thou 
refuse,  I  will  bring  against  thee  my  armies  and  destroy  thee." 


68 

The  king  of  the  sea  then  called  his  viziers,  and  requested  them 
to  tell  him  what  answer  he  should  make  to  King  Solomon.  They 
advised  him  to  consult  the  idol  of  carnelian.  So  the  king  came  to 
the  idol  and  prayed  before  it  and  begged  it  to  tell  him  what  to  do. 
Then  I  entered  into  the  body  of  the  idol,  and  speaking  through 
it,  I  answered  the  king  of  the  sea,  advising  him  to  refuse  the 
request  of  King  Solomon,  and  said  that  if  King  Solomon  should 
wage  war,  I  would  go  forth  and  fight  against  him  and  destroy  him. 
Hearing  my  reply,  the  king  of  the  sea  took  courage,  and  he  sent 
a  message  to  King  Solomon  refusing  to  give  him  his  daughter  in 
marriage,  or  to  abandon  the  worship  of  the  carnelian  idol. 

Then  Solomon  prepared  his  forces  of  the  good  genies  and  men 
and  wild  beasts  and  birds  and  reptiles.  He  commanded  Ed- 
Dimiryat,  his  vizier  of  genies,  to  collect  the  genies  from  every 
place.  So  he  collected  for  him  six  hundred  millions.  He  also 
commanded  Asaf,  his  vizier  of  men,  to  collect  his  soldiers  of 
mankind,  and  their  number  was  one  million.  And  when  all  was 
ready  he  mounted  with  his  forces  of  genies  and  mankind  upon 
his  magic  carpet,  which  bore  his  army  through  the  air,  with  the 
birds  flying  over  his  head,  and  the  wild  beasts  beneath,  until  he 
alighted  on  the  enemy's  coast  and  surrounded  his  island.  The 
king  of  the  sea  then  sent  to  the  people  of  his  country,  and  col- 
lected for  himself  a  million  of  the  genies  that  were  under  his  au- 
thority. To  these  he  added  other  genies  from  the  islands  of  the 
seas  and  the  tops  of  mountains,  after  which  he  made  ready  his 
forces,  and  distributed  weapons  among  them. 

King  Solomon  arranged  his  troops;  commanding  the  wild 
beasts  to  form  themselves  into  divisions,  on  the  right  of  the 
people,  and  on  their  left,  and  commanding  the  birds  to  be  upon 
the  islands.  He  also  ordered  the  birds,  when  the  battle  should 
begin,  to  tear  out  the  eyes  of  their  enemies  with  their  beaks, 
ancf  to  beat  their  faces  with  their  wings;  and  he  ordered  the  wild 
beasts  to  tear  in  pieces  their  horses;  and  they  replied,  "  We 
hear  and  obey,  O  Prophet  of  God."  Then  Solomon  set  for 
himself  a  couch  of  alabaster  adorned  with  jewels  and  plated  with 


69 

plates  of  gold,  and  he  placed  his  vizier  Asaf  on  his  right  side, 
and  his  vizier  Ed-Dimiryat  on  his  left,  and  the  wild  beasts  and 
reptiles  before  him. 

After  this  they  came  upon  us  all  together,  and  we  fought  with 
King  Solomon  in  a  wide  tract  for  two  days,  but  we  were  defeated 
on  the  third  day.  I  and  my  troops  were  the  first  who  charged 
upon  King  Solomon,  and  I  said  to  my  companions,  "  Keep  in 
your  places  in  the  battlefield,  while  I  go  forth  to  them  and 
challenge  Ed-Dimiryat. "  And  Ed-Dimiryat  came  like  a  great 
mountain,  his  fires  flaming  and  his  smoke  ascending,  and  he  ap- 
proached and  smote  me  with  a  flaming  fire,  and  his  arrow  pre- 
vailed over  my  fire.  He  cried  out  at  me  with  a  loud  cry,  so  that 
I  thought  the  heaven  had  fallen  and  closed  over  me,  and  the 
mountains  shook  at  his  voice.  Then  he  commanded  his  com- 
panions and  they  charged  upon  us  all  together.  We  also  charged 
upon  them,  and  we  cried  out  one  to  another;  the  fires  rose  and 
the  smoke  ascended  and  the  battle  raged.  The  birds  fought  in 
the  air  and  the  wild  beasts  in  the  dust,  and  I  fought  with  Ed- 
Dimiryat,  until  he  wearied  me  and  I  wearied  him,  after  which  I 
became  weak  and  my  companions  and  troops  lost  courage,  and  my 
tribes  were  defeated.  I  fled  from  before  Ed-Dimiryat,  but  he 
followed  me,  a  journey  of  three  months,  until  he  overtook  me. 
I  fell  down  through  fatigue,  and  he  rushed  upon  me  and  made 
me  a  prisoner.  Then  I  said  to  him,  "  Have  pity  on  me  and  take 
me  before  King  Solomon. ' '  But  when  I  came  before  King  Solo- 
mon, he  was  enraged  against  me,  and  he  caused  this  pillar  to  be 
brought,  and  he  hollowed  it,  and  put  me  in  it,  and  sealed  me 
with  his  seal.  Then  he  chained  me,  and  Ed-Dimiryat  conveyed 
me  to  this  place,  where  he  set  me  down  as  thou  seest  me,  and 
this  pillar  is  my  prison  until  the  day  of  resurrection. 


;o 


CONTINUATION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
BRASS. 

The  Emeer  Moosa  and  his  companions  wondered  exceedingly 
at  this  story,  and  then  Abdes-Samad  said  to  the  genie  in  the  pil- 
lar, "  Are  there  in  this  place  any  of  the  genies  confined  in  bottles 
of  brass  from  the  time  of  Solomon  ?  ' '  He  answered,  ' '  Yes,  in 
the  sea  of  El-Karkar,  where  dwell  some  of  the  descendants  of 
Noah,  whose  country  the  deluge  did  not  reach.  They  are 
separated ,from  the  rest  of  the  sons  of  Adam."  "  And  where," 
said  Abdes-Samad,  "  is  the  way  to  the  City  of  Brass,  and  the 
place  in  which  are  the  bottles  ?  What  distance  is  there  between 
us  and  it  ?  "  The  genie  answered,  "  It  is  near." 

The  party  then  proceeded  on  their  journey,  and  in  a  little 
while  they  saw  in  the  distance  a  great  black  object,  and  in  it 
there  seemed  to  be  two  fires  corresponding  with  each  other  in 
position.  "  What  is  this  great  black  object,"  asked  the  Emeer 
Moosa,  "  and  what  are  these  two  corresponding  fires?  "  "Be 
rejoiced,  O  Emeer,"  answered  Abdes-Samad;  "  it  is  the  City  of 
Brass,  and  this  is  the  appearance  of  it  that  I  find  described  in 
the  book  of  hidden  treasures, —  that  its  wall  is  of  black  stones, 
and  it  has  two  towers  of  brass,  which  resemble  two  corresponding 
fires;  hence  it  is  named  the  City  of  Brass." 

Hastening  on  they  arrived  at  the  city,  and  they  found  that  it 
was  strongly  fortified,  and  that  its  buildings  were  lofty,  rising 
high  into  .the  air.  Its  walls  were  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
high,  and  it  had  five  and  twenty  gates.  They  stopped  before  the 
walls  and  endeavored  to  find  one  of  the  gates,  but  they  could  not. 
Then  the  Emeer  Moosa  said  to  Abdes-Samad,  "  I  do  not  see 
any  gate  to  this  city."  Abdes-Samad  answered,  "  I  find  it  de- 
scribed in  the  book  of  hidden  treasures  that  'it  has  five  and 
twenty  gates,  and  that  none  of  them  may  be  opened  but  from 
within  the  city." 

Then  the  Emeer  Moosa  took  Talib  and  Abdes-Samad  with 
him,  and  they  ascended  a  mountain  which  was  close  by.  And 


looking  down  upon  the  city,  they  saw  that  it  was  greater  and 
more  beautiful  than  anything  they  had  ever  beheld.  Its  palaces 
were  lofty,  its  domes  were  shining;  rivers  were  running  within  it, 
and  there  were  delightful  gardens  with  trees  bearing  ripe  fruit. 
But  they  did  not  see  a  human  being  within  its  walls.  It  was 
empty,  still,  without  a  voice  or  a  cheering  inhabitant  but  the 
owl  hooting  in  its  gardens,  and  birds  skimming  in  circles  in  its 
areas,  and  the  raven  croaking  in  its  great  streets. 

After  coming  down  from  the  mountain  they  passed  the  day 
trying  to  devise  means  of  entering  the  city.  At  last  it  occurred 
to  them  to  make  a  ladder,  and  the  Emeer  called  to  the  carpen- 
ters and  blacksmiths  and  ordered  them  to  construct  a  ladder 
covered  with  plates  of  iron.  This  work  occupied  a  month,  and 
when  it  was  finished  the  ladder  was  set  up  against  the  wall,  and 
one  of  the  party  ascended  it.  When  he  reached  the  top  he 
stood,  and,  fixing  his  eyes  towards  the  city,  clapped  his  hands, 
and  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Thou  art  beautiful!  "  Then 
he  cast  himself  down  into  the  city  and  was  killed.  Seeing  this 
the  Emeer  Moosa  said,  "  If  we  do  thus  with  all  our  companions, 
there  will  not  remain  one  of  them,  and  we  shall  be  unable  to  ac- 
complish the  wish  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful.  Let  us  depart, 
and  have  no  more  to  do  with  this  city."  But  one  of  them 
answered,  "  Perhaps  another  may  be  more  steady  than  he." 
Then  a  second  ascended,  and  he  did  the  same  as  the  first,  and 
then  a  third,  and  a  fourth,  and  a  fifth,  and  they  continued  to 
ascend  by  that  ladder  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  one  after  another, 
until  twelve  men  of  them  had  gone,  acting  as  the  first  had  acted. 

Abdes-Samad  now  arose  and  said,  ' '  There  is  none  can  do  this 
but  myself. "  So  he  ascended  the  ladder,  reciting  verses  of  the 
Koran  until  he  reached  the  top,  when  he  clapped  his  hands  and 
fixed  his  eyes.  The  people  therefore  called  out  to  him,  "  O 
Abdes-Samad,  do  not  cast  thyself  down.  If  you  fall,  we  all 
perish. ' '  Then  Abdes-Samad  sat  down  upon  the  wall  for  a  long 
time,  reciting  verses  of  the  Koran,  after  which  he  rose  and  cried 
out,  "  0  Emeer,  no  harm  shall  happen  to  you,  for  God  has 


72 

averted  from  me  the  effect  of  the  artifice  and  fraud  of  the  Evil 
One."  The  Emeer  then  said  to  him,  "  What  hast  thou  seen, 
O  Abdes-Samad?  "  He  answered,  "  When  I  reached  the  top 
of  the  wall,  I  saw  ten  damsels,  beautiful  to  behold,  who  made  a 
sign  to  me  with  their  hands  as  though  they  would  say,  '  Come 
to  us. '  And  it  seemed  to  me  that  beneath  me  was  a  sea,  or  great 
river,  and  I  desired  to  cast  myself  down  as  our  companions  did. 
But  I  saw  them  dead,  and  I  recited  some  words  of  the  Koran, 
and  so  I  cast  not  myself  down.  Therefore  the  damsels  departed. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  this  is  an  enchantment  contrived  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  to  keep  every  one  from  entering  it. ' ' 

Abdes-Samad  then  walked  along  the  wall  till  he  came  to  the 
two  towers  of  brass,  when  he  saw  that  they  had  two  gates  of  gold, 
without  locks  upon  them,  or  any  sign  of  the  means  of  opening 
them.  He  remained  looking  at  them  a  long  time,  and  at  last 
he  saw  in  the  middle  of  one  of  the  gates  a  figure  of  a  horseman 
of  brass,  having  one  hand  stretched  out  as  though  he  were  point- 
ing with  it,  and  on  the  hand  these  words  were  inscribed : 

"  Turn  the  pin  that  is  in  the  middle  of  the  front  of  the 
horseman's  body  twelve  times,  and  then  the  gate 
will  open." 

Abdes-Samad,  having  read  this  inscription,  examined  the  horse- 
man, and  found  in  the  middle  of  the  front  of  his  body  a  pin, 
strong,  firm,  and  well  fixed.  He  turned  it  twelve  times,  and  im- 
mediately the  gate  opened  with  a  noise  like  thunder.  Abdes- 
Samad  entered,  and  he  walked  on  until  he  came  to  stairs,  which 
he  descended.  At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  he  found  a  place  with 
handsome  wooden  benches  on  which  there  were  dead  people,  and 
over  their  heads  were  shields,  and  swords,  and  bows,  and  ar- 
rows. One  of  the  dead  men,  who  appeared  to  be  the  oldest, 
was  upon  a  high  bench  above  the  rest.  Abdes-Samad  thought 
that  the  keys  of  the  city  might  be  with  this  man.  ' '  Perhaps, ' ' 
said  he  to  himself,  "  he  was  the  gate  keeper,  and  these  were 
under  his  authority."  He  therefore  went  up  to  the  man,  and 


73 

raised  his  outer  garment,  and  he  found  the  keys  hung  to  his  waist. 
At  the  sight  of  them  Abdes-Samad  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  he 
took  the  keys  and  approached  the  gate  in  the  wall  of  the  city. 
He  found  that  the  keys  fitted  the  locks,  so  he  turned  them,  and 
pulled  the  gate,  which  opened  with  a  great  noise.  Then  he 
cried  out  with  a  cry  of  joy,  and  the  Emeer  Moosa  rejoiced  at  the 
safety  of  Abdes-Samad,  and  the  opening  of  the  gate  of  the  city. 
The  people  thanked  Abdes-Samad  for  what  he  had  done,  and 
they  all  hastened  to  enter  the  gate.  But  the  Emeer  Moosa 
cried  out  to  them,  saying,  "  O  people,  some  accident  may  hap- 
pen, and  if  all  enter,  all  may  perish.  Therefore  let  half  of  us 
enter  and  half  remain  outside." 

The  Emeer  Moosa  then  entered  the  gate,  and  with  him  half 
of  his  troops,  carrying  their  weapons  of  war.  They  saw  their 
companions  lying  dead,  and  they  buried  them.  They  then  en- 
tered the  market  of  the  city,  which  contained  a  number  of  lofty 
buildings.  The  shops  were  open,  the  scales  hung  up,  and  the 
stores  full  of  all  kinds  of  goods,  but  the  merchants  were  all  dead. 
They  passed  on  to  the  silk  market,  in  which  were  silks  and  bro- 
cades interwoven  with  gold  and  silver  upon  various  colors,  and 
the  owners  were  dead,  lying  upon  skins,  and  appearing  almost 
as  though  they  would  speak.  Leaving  these  they  went  on  to  the 
market  of  the  money  changers,  all  of  whom  they  found  dead, 
with  varieties  of  silks  beneath  them,  and  their  shops  filled  with 
gold  and  silver.  After  going  through  several  other  markets  they 
came  to  a  lofty  palace  which  they  entered.  There  they  found 
banners  unfurled,  and  swords,  and  bows,  and  shields  hung  up  by 
chains  of  gold  and  silver.  In  the  passages  of  the  palace  were 
benches  of  ivory,  ornamented  with  plates  of  brilliant  gold  and 
with  silk,  on  which  were  dead  men,  whose  skins  had  dried  upon 
their  bones.  Going  into  the  interior  of  the  palace  they  came  to 
a  great  hall,  and  four  large  and  lofty  chambers,  each  one  fronting 
another,  and  decorated  with  gold  and  silver  and  various  colors. 
In  the  midst  of  the  hall  was  a  great  fountain  of  alabaster,  over 
which  was  a  canopy  of  brocade,  and  in  the  chambers  were 


74 

decorated  fountains,  and  tanks  lined  with  marble,  and  channels 
of  water  flowed  along  the  floors,  the  four  streams  meeting 
together  in  a  great  tank  made  of  colored  marbles. 

The  Emeer  Moosa  and  his  companions  now  entered  the  first 
chamber,  and  they  found  it  filled  with  gold  and  silver,  and  pearls 
and  jewels,  and  jacinths  and  precious  minerals.  They  found  in 
it  chests  full  of  red  and  yellow  and  white  brocades.  They  then 
went  into  the  second  chamber,  and  opened  a  closet  in  it,  and  it 
was  filled  with  weapons  of  war,  consisting  of  gilded  helmets,  and 
coats  of  mail,  and  swords,  and  lances,  and  other  instruments  of 
war  and  battle.  Then  they  passed  to  the  third  chamber,  in 
which  they  found  closets  having  upon  their  doors  closed  locks, 
and  over  them  were  curtains  worked  with  various  kinds  of  em- 
broidery. They  opened  one  of  these  closets,  and  found  it  filled 
with  weapons  decorated  with  varieties  of  gold  and  silver  and 
jewels.  From  there  they  went  to  the  fourth  chamber,  where 
they  also  found  closets,  one  of  which  they  opened,  and  it  was  full 
of  utensils  for  food  and  drink,  consisting  of  various  vessels  of  gold 
and  silver,  and  saucers  of  crystal,  and  cups  set  with  brilliant 
pearls,  and  cups  of  carnelian.  They  took  what  suited  them  of 
these  things,  and  each  of  the  soldiers  carried  off  what  he  could. 

Then  they  passed  on,  and  found  a  chamber  constructed  of 
polished  marble  adorned  with  jewels.  They  thought  that  upon 
the  floor  was  running  water,  and  if  any  one  walked  upon  it  he 
would  slip.  The  Emeer  Moosa  therefore  ordered  Abdes-Samad 
to  throw  upon  it  something,  that  they  might  be  enabled  to  walk 
on  it,  and  he  did  so,  and  they  passed  on.  And  they  found  in  it 
a  great  dome  constructed  of  stones  gilt  with  red  gold.  The 
party  had  not  beheld  in  all  that  they  had  seen  anything  more 
beautiful  than  this.  In  the  midst  of  it  there  was  a  great  dome- 
crowned  structure  of  alabaster,  around  which  were  lattice  windows, 
decorated  and  adorned  with  oblong  emeralds.  In  it  was  a  pavilion 
of  brocade,  raised  upon  columns  of  red  gold,  and  within  this 
were  birds,  the  feet  of  which  were  of  emeralds.  Beneath  each 
bird  was  a  net  of  brilliant  pearls,  spread  ovej  a  fountain,  and  by 


75 

the  brink  of  the  fountain  was  placed  a  couch  adorned  with  pearls 
and  jewels  and  jacinths,  on  which  sat  a  damsel  resembling  the 
shining  sun.  Eyes  had  not  beheld  one  more  beautiful.  She  wore 
a  garment  of  brilliant  pearls,  on  her  head  was  a  crown  of  red 
gold,  on  her  neck  was  a  necklace  of  jewels,  and  upon  her  fore- 
head were  two  jewels  the  light  of  which  was  like  that  of  the  sun. 
She  seemed  as  though  she  were  looking  at  the  people,  and  ob- 
serving them  to  the  right  and  left. 

When  the  Emeer  Moosa  beheld  this  damsel,  he  wondered  ex- 
tremely at  her  loveliness,  and  he  saluted  her  respectfully.  But 
Talib  said  to  the  Emeer,  ' '  This  damsel  is  dead.  There  is  no  life 
in  her.  How,  then,  can  she  return  the  salutation  ?"  And  he  added, 
"  O  Emeer,  she  is  skillfully  embalmed.  Her  eyes  were  taken 
out  after  her  death,  and  quicksilver  put  beneath  them,  after  which 
they  were  restored  to  their  places;  so  they  gleam,  and  whenever 
the  air  puts  them  in  motion  the  beholder  imagines  that  she 
twinkles  her  eyes,  though  she  is  dead. ' '  Then  they  saw  that  the 
couch  upon  which  the  damsel  sat  had  steps,  and  upon  the  steps 
were  two  slaves,  one  of  them  white  and  the  other  black.  In  the 
hand  of  one  of  them  was  a  weapon  of  steel,  and  in  the  hand  of 
the  other  a  jeweled  sword  that  dazzled  the  eyes.  Before  the  two 
slaves  was  a  tablet  of  gold  on  which  was  the  following  inscrip- 
tion: 

"  O  thou  if  thou  know  me  not,  I  will  acquaint  thee  with 
my  name  and  descent.  I  am  Tedmur,  the  daughter 
of  the  King  of  the  Amalekites.  I  possessed  what 
none  of  the  kings  possessed,  and  ruled  with  justice. 
I  gave  and  bestowed,  and  I  lived  a  long  time  in  the 
enjoyment  of  happiness  and  an  easy  life,  and  eman- 
cipated female  and  male  slaves.  Thus  I  did  until 
death  came  to  my  abode,  and  the  case  was  this: 
Seven  years  in  succession  came  upon  us  during 
which  no  water  descended  on  us  from  heaven,  nor 
did  any  grass  grow  for  us  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
So  we  ate  what  food  we  had  in  our  dwellings,  and 


76 

after  that  we  fell  upon  the  beasts  and  ate  them,  and 
there  remained  nothing.  Upon  this  I  caused  the 
wealth  to  be  brought,  and  measured  it  with  a  meas- 
ure, and  sent  it  by  trusty  men,  who  went  about  with 
it  through  all  the  districts,  not  leaving  unvisited  a 
single  large  city,  to  seek  for  some  food.  But  they 
found  none,  and  they  returned  to  us  with  the  wealth, 
after  a  long  absence.  Then  we  exposed  to  view  our 
riches  and  our  treasures,  locked  the  gates  of  the  for- 
tresses in  our  city,  and  we  all  died,  as  thou  beholdest, 
and  left  what  we  had  built  and  what  we  had  treas- 
ured. This  is  our  story.  Whoever  arrives  at  our 
city,  and  enters  it,  let  him  take  of  the  wealth  what 
he  can,  but  not  touch  anything  that  is  on  my  body, 
for  it  is  the  covering  of  my  person,  and  the 
attire  with  which  I  am  fitted  forth  from  the  world. 
Therefore  let  him  not  seize  aught  of  it;  for  he  would 
destroy  himself." 

The  Emeer  Moosa,  when  he  read  these  words,  was  greatly 
astonished.  Then  he  said  to  his  companions,  "  Bring  the  sacks, 
and  fill  them  with  part  of  these  riches  and  these  vessels  and  rari- 
ties and  jewels."  But  Talib  said  to  him,  "  O  Emeer,  shall  we 
leave  this  damsel  with  the  things  that  are  upon  her  ?  They  are 
things  that  have  no  equal,  and  they  are  more  than  the  riches 
thou  hast  taken,  and  will  be  the  best  present  for  the  Prince  of 
the  Faithful."  But  the  Emeer  replied,  "  Seest  thou  not  that 
which  the  damsel  hath  given  as  a  charge,  in  the  inscription  upon 
this  tablet  ?  "  Talib  however,  said,  "  And  on  account  of  these 
words  wilt  thou  leave  these  riches  and  these  jewels,  when  she 
is  dead  ?  What  then  should  she  do  with  these  things,  which 
are  the  ornaments  of  the  world,  and  the  decoration  of  the  living  ? 
With  a  garment  of  cotton  this  damsel  might  be  covered,  and 
we  are  more  worthy  of  the  things  than  she. ' '  Then  he  drew 
near  to  the  steps,  and  ascended  them  until  he  reached  the  spot 


77 

between  the  two  slaves,  when  suddenly  one  of  them  smote  him 
upon  his  back  and  the  other  smote  him  with  the  sword  that  was 
in  his  hand,  and  struck  off  his  head,  and  he  fell  down  dead. 
Seeing  this  the  people  were  much  terrified,  and  the  Emeer  Moosa 
commanded  them  to  leave  the  city  and  close  the  gate  as  it  was 
before. 

They  then  proceeded  on  until  they  came  in  sight  of  a  high 
mountain  overlooking  the  sea.  In  it  were  many  caves  in  which 
was  a  people  of  the  blacks,  clad  in  hides,  whose  language  was 
not  known.  And  when  the  blacks  saw  the  troops  they  ran 
away  from  them,  while  their  women  and  children  stood  at  the 
entrance  of  the  cave.  So  the  Emeer  Moosa  said,  "  O  Abdes- 
Samad,  what  are  these  people  ?"  And  he  answered,  "  These  are 
the  objects  of  the  inquiry  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful."  They 
therefore  alighted  and  the  tents  were  pitched  and  they  had  not 
rested  when  the  king  of  the  blacks  came  down  from  the  moun- 
tain, and  drew  near  to  the  troops.  He  was  acquainted  with  the 
Arabic  language,  and  when  he  came  to  Emeer  Moosa  he  saluted 
him,  and  the  Emeer  returned  his  salute  and  treated  him  with 
honor.  Then  the  king  of  the  blacks  said  to  the  Emeer,  "  Are 
ye  of  mankind,  or  of  the  genies  ?  "  The  Emeer  answered, 
"  We  are  of  mankind,  but  as  to  you,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
ye  are  of  the  genies,  because  of  the  greatness  of  your  size. ' '  But 
the  king  of  the  blacks  replied,  "  Nay,  we  are  a  people  of  the 
race  of  Adam,  of  the  sons  of  Ham,  the  son  of  Noah.  And  this 
sea  is  known  by  the  name  of  El-Karkar. ' ' 

The  Emeer  then  said  to  him,  "  We  are  the  messengers  and 
servants  of  the  Caliph  Abdel-Melik,  and  we  have  come  on  ac- 
count of  the  bottles  of  brass  that  are  here  in  your  sea,  in  which 
are  the  genies  imprisoned  from  the  time  of  Solomon,  the  son  of 
David.  He  hath  commanded  us  to  bring  him  some  of  them,  that 
he  may  see  them.  Wilt  thou  help  us  in  this  matter?"  The 
king  of  the  blacks  replied,  "  Most  willingly. "  Then  he  ordered 
the  divers  to  bring  up  from  the  sea  some  of  the  bottles  of  Solo- 
mon, and  they  brought  up  twelve  bottles,  which  the  king  gave  to 


78 

the  Emeer.  The  Emeer  Moosa  was  delighted,  and  Abdes-Samad 
also,  and  the  soldiers,  on  account  of  the  accomplishment  of  the 
wish  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful.  The  Emeer  then  presented 
to  the  king  of  the  blacks  many  gifts. 

Then  they  bade  him  farewell,  and  they  journeyed  back  until 
they  came  to  the  land  of  Syria,  and  went  to  the  palace  of  the 
Prince  of  the  Faithful.  The  Emeer  Moosa  told  him  of  all  that 
he  had  seen,  and  of  the  case  of  Talib.  And  the  Prince  of  the 
Faithful  said  to  him,  "  Would  that  I  had  been  with  you, 
that  I  might  have  beheld  what  ye  beheld."  He  then  took  the 
bottles,  and  proceeded  to  open  one  after  another,  and  the 
genies  came  forth  from  them  saying,  "  Repentance  !  O  Prophet 
of  God  !  We  will  not  return  to  the  like  conduct  ever."  After 
this  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  caused  the  riches  to  be  brought 
before  him,  and  divided  them  among  the  people. 

This  is  the  end  of  that  which  hath  come  down  to  us  of  the 
history  of  the  City  of  Brass. 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

There  was  in  ancient  times  a  king  of  Persia  whose  name  was 
Shahzeman.  The  city  in  which  he  lived  was  on  the  shore  of  the 
sea,  and  was  called  the  White  City.  Though  he  was  rich  and 
had  great  power,  King  Shahzeman  was  very  unhappy  because  he 
had  no  son  to  be  the  heir  of  his  kingdom. 

One  day  a  merchant  came  to  the  king's  palace  with  a  beautiful 
young  slave  girl,  and  Shahzeman,  as  soon  a,s  he  saw  her,  fell  in 
love  with  her,  and  bought  her  from  the  merchant  for  ten  thou- 
sand pieces  of  gold.  He  then  married  her  and  made  her  his 
queen,  but  he  was  much  troubled  to  find  that  she  did  not  seem 
to  be  happy,  although  he  loved  her  greatly,  and  gave  her  every- 
thing she  wanted.  She  never  laughed  and  never  spoke  a  word 
to  him  or  to  any  of  her  attendants. 

This  continued  for  more  than  a  year,  until  one  day  while  the 


79 

king  was  telling  her  of  his  love  and  admiration,  and  begging  her 
to  speak  and  let  him  know  the  cause  of  her  sorrow,  the  queen 
suddenly  smiled  and  began  to  talk.  She  then  told  him  who  she 
was  and  how  she  came  to  be  a  slave.  "  Sire,"  said  she,  "  my 
name  is  Gulnare  of  the  Sea.  My  father,  who  is  dead,  was  one 
of  the  most  powerful  monarchs  of  the  ocean.  At  his  death  he 
left  his  kingdom  to  my  brother,  named  Saleh,  and  to  the  Queen 
Fareshah,  my  mother,  who  is  the  daughter  of  a  great  sea  king. 
But  a  neighboring  prince,  without  any  provocation,  invaded 
our  kingdom,  and  took  our  capital,  and  we  were  obliged  to  go 
elsewhere  to  live.  My  brother  wished  me  to  marry,  and  he 
thought  that  I  should  marry  one  of  the  princes  of  the  earth,  as  I 
could  not  get  one  of  the  princes  of  the  sea  because  we  had  lost 
our  kingdom.  I  would  not  agree  to  this,  and  so  my  brother  and 
I  quarreled,  and  in  my  anger  I  gave  a  spring  from  the  bottom  of 
the  sea  to  the  Island  of  the  Moon.  Here  a  great  lord  seized  me, 
and  carried  me  to  his  home.  He  wanted  me  to  marry  him,  and 
when  I  refused  he  sold  me  to  the  merchant  who  brought  me  to 
your  palace.  As  for  you,  Sire," if  you  had  not  shown  me  so  much 
respect  and  given  me  such  marks  of  your  love,  I  would  not  have 
remained  with  you.  I  would  have  thrown  myself  into  the  sea 
out  of  this  window,  and  would  have  returned  to  my  mother,  my 
brother,  and  the  rest  of  my  relations.  But  now  I  shall  live 
happy  with  you,  and  we  shall  soon  have  a  child  to  be  heir  to  your 
kingdom,  and  this  will  be  a  pledge  to  you  that  I  shall  never  leave 
you. ' ' 

King  Shahzeman  was  delighted  to  hear  his  queen  speak,  and 
still  more  delighted  to  know  that  he  was  to  have  an  heir  to  his 
throne.  But  he  was  astonished  to  learn  that  there  were  king- 
doms and  princes  in  the  sea,  and  he  asked  Gulnare  to  tell  him 
more  about  it.  "I  cannot  understand,"  said  he,  "  how  people 
can  live  or  move  in  the  water  without  being  drowned. ' ' 

"  Sire,"  replied  Queen  Gulnare,  "  we  can  walk  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea  with  as  much  ease  as  you  can  upon  land,  and  we  can 
breathe  in  the  water  as  you  do  in  the  air.  What  is  yet  more  re- 


8o 

markable,  the  water  never  wets  our  clothes,  so  that  when  we  wish 
to  visit  the  earth,  we  have  no  need  to  dry  them.  And  the  water 
does  not  hinder  us  from  seeing,  for  we  can  open  our  eyes  without 
hurting  them,  and  we  can  see  any  object  as  clearly  in  the  deepest 
part  of  the  ocean  as  upon  land.  The  palaces  of  the  kings  and 
princes  of  the  sea  are  magnificent.  Some  of  them  are  built  of 
marble  of  various  colors,  others  of  rock  crystal,  and  others  of 
mother-of-pearl,  or  coral.  Gold,  silver,  and  all  sorts  of  precious 
stones  are  more  plentiful  there  than  on  earth.  As  for  pearls,  the 
largest  that  ever  were  seen  upon  earth  would  be  of  little 
value  compared  to  those  in  the  kingdoms  of  the  sea.  As  we  have 
power  in  the  sea  to  convey  ourselves  where  we  please  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  we  have  no  need  for  carriages  or  horses. 
However,  the  king  has  his  stables,  and  his  stud  of  sea  horses,  but 
they  are  seldom  used,  except  on  public  festival  or  rejoicing 
days.  The  horses  are  trained  to  draw  by  themselves,  so  that 
there  is  no  need  of  drivers  to  guide  them,  and  the  chariots  are 
made  of  mother-of-pearl,  adorned  with  shells  of  all  sorts,  of  the 
most  beautiful  colors.  These  chariots  are  open,  and  in  the  mid- 
dle is  a  throne  on  which  the  king  sits,  and  shows  himself  to  his 
subjects.  Many  more  curious  things  about  the  kingdoms  of  the 
sea  I  shall  tell  you  of  at  another  time,  but  now  I  wish  to  ask  you, 
Sire,  to  grant  me  leave  to  send  for  my  mother  and  for  my 
brother,  with  whom  I  much  wish  to  be  reconciled.  They  will  be 
glad  to  see  me  the  wife  of  the  mighty  king  of  Persia,  and  I  think 
you  will  be  pleased  to  see  them. ' ' 

"  Dear  Gulnare, "  replied  the  king,  "  you  are  queen;  do  what- 
ever you  please;  I  will  receive  your  mother  and  brother  with  all 
the  honors  they  deserve.  But  how  will  you  invite  them,  and 
when  will  they  arrive,  that  I  may  give  orders  to  make  preparation 
for  their  reception,  and  go  myself  to  meet  them  ?  "  "  Sire," 
replied  Queen  Gulnare,  "  there  is  no  need  of  such  ceremonies. 
They  will  be  here  in  a  moment,  and  if  your  majesty  will  step  into 
that  small  room  and  look  through  the  window  towards  the  sea, 
you  shall  behold  the  manner  of  their  arrival. ' ' 


8l 

As  soon  as  the  king  of  Persia  entered  the  small  room,  Queen 
Gukiare  ordered  one  of  her  women  to  bring  a  fire  pan  with  a  little 
fire.  After  these  were  brought  she  ordered  the  woman  to  retire, 
and  she  shut  the  door.  When  she  was  alone,  she  took  a  piece 
of  aloes  wood  out  of  a  box,  and  put  it  into  the  fire  pan.  As 
soon  as  she  saw  the  smoke  rise,  she  repeated  some  words  known 
only  to  herself.  Immediately  the  sea  began  to  be  rough,  and  it 
opened  in  the  distance.  Then  there  arose  out  of  it  a  tall,  hand- 
some young  man,  with  whiskers  of  a  sea-green  color.  A  little 
behind  him  came  an  elderly  lady  of  majestic  air,  attended  by 
five  young  ladies,  all  as  beautiful  as  Queen  Gulnare.  They 
seemed  to  be  carried  upon  the  surface  of  the  waves,  and  when 
they  came  to  the  shore,  they  nimbly,  one  after  another,  sprang 
in  at  the  window.  They  were  King  Saleh,  brother  of  Queen 
Gulnare,  her  mother,  Queen  Fareshah,  and  five  princesses, 
their  relations.  On  their  entrance  they  all  embraced  Queen 
Gulnare  tenderly,  shedding  tears  of  joy. 

The  king  of  Persia  treated  his  guests  with  great  honor,  enter- 
taining them  every  day  at  magnificent  feasts,  and  he  made  them 
remain  with  him  for  several  months. 

In  the  mean  while  Queen  Gulnare  gave  birth  to  a  son,  which 
caused  the  king  greater  joy  than  can  be  expressed.  The  young 
prince  being  of  a  beautiful  countenance,  his  father  thought  no 
name  so  proper  for  him'  as  that  of  Beder  Basim,  which  in  the 
Arabian  language  signifies  the  full  moon.  In  token  of  his  grati- 
tude to  Heaven,  he  gave  liberal  alms  to  the  poor,  and  made  all 
his  slaves  of  both  sexes  free.  He  distributed  vast  sums  among 
the  ministers  and  holy  men  of  his  religion.  He  also  ordered  re- 
joicings to  be  kept  up  for  several  days  through  the  whole  city. 

One  day  as  King  Shahzeman,  Queen  Gulnare,  the  queen 
her  mother,  King  Saleh  her  brother,  and  the  princesses  their  re- 
lations, were  talking  together  in  Queen  Gulnare 's  chamber,  the 
nurse  came  in  with  the  young  Prince  Beder  in  her  arms.  King 
Saleh,  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  child,  ran  to  embrace  him,  and, 
taking  him  in  his  arms,  kissed  and  caressed  him  with  the  greatest 

ARABIAN    NIGHTS  —  6 


82 

tenderness.  He  took  several  turns  with  him  about  the  room, 
dancing  and  tossing  him  about,  when  all  of  a  sudden,  the  window 
being  open,  he  sprang  out,  and  plunged  with  him  into  the  sea. 

The  king  of  Persia,  thinking  he  should  see  his  son  no  more, 
was  overwhelmed  with  grief.  "  Sire,"  said  Queen Gulnare,  "  let 
your  Majesty  fear  nothing;  the  young  prince,  by  being  taken  thus 
into  the  water,  will  be  able  to  live  in  the  sea  as  well  as  on  the 
land."  Queen  Fareshah  and  the  princesses  said  the  same  thing, 
nevertheless  the  king  was  much  distressed  and  alarmed.  But  in 
a  few  minutes  the  sea  became  very  rough,  and  immediately  King 
Saleh  arose  with  the  young  prince  in  his  arms,  and,  holding  him 
up  in  the  air,  reentered  at  the  window  from  which  he  had  leaped. 
The  king  of  Persia,  overjoyed  to  see  Prince  Beder  again,  and 
astonished  that  he  was  as  dry  as  before,  said  to  King  Saleh, 
"  Prince,  you  now  make  me  happy  by  bringing  my  son  to  me 
again."  "  You  had  not  the  least  reason,"  replied  King  Saleh, 
"  to  fear  danger;  for  before  I  plunged  into  the  sea,  I  said  certain 
words,  which  are  engraved  on  the  seal  of  Solomon  the  son  of 
David.  Now  your  son,  as  long  as  he  lives,  and  as  often  as  he 
pleases,  may  plunge  into  the  sea,  and  travel  through  the  vast 
empires  it  contains  in  its  bosom. ' ' 

Having  so  spoken,  King  Saleh,  after  restoring  Prince  Beder  to 
his  nurse's  arms,  opened  a  box  he  had  fetched  from  his  palace 
under  the  sea.  In  it  were  three  hundred  diamonds,  as  large  as 
pigeons'  eggs,  with  the  same  number  of  rubies  and  emeralds  of 
extraordinary  size,  and  thirty  necklaces,  having  each  ten  rows  of 
the  finest  pearls.  "  Sire,"  said  he  to  the  king  of  Persia,  pre- 
senting him  with  the  box,  ' '  I  beg  you  to  accept  this  small  token 
of  gratitude  in  acknowledgment  of  the  many  favors  you  have 
been  pleased  to  confer  on  the  queen  my  sister,  for  which  we 
owe  you  the  greatest  thanks. ' '  Then  he  told  the  king  of  Persia 
that  the  queen  his  mother,  the  princesses  his  relations,  and  him- 
self, could  have  no  greater  pleasure  than  to  spend  their  whole 
lives  at  his  court,  but  that  having  been  so  long  absent  from  their 
own  home,  they  begged  to  take  leave  of  him  and  Queen  Gulnare. 


83 

The  king  of  Persia  answered  that  he  was  sorry  it  was  not  in  his 
power  to  return  their  visit,  but  added,  "  As  I  am  sure  you  will 
not  forget  Gulnare,  I  hope  I  shall  see  you  again  more  than 
once."  Many  tears  were  shed  on  both  sides  at  parting.  Then 
King  Saleh,  Queen  Fareshah,  and  the  five  princesses,  flew  to  the 
sea,  and,  descending  into  it,  disappeared. ' 

Prince  Beder  was  brought  up  and  educated  with  the  utmost 
care  in  the  palace,  under  the  king  and  queen  of  Persia.  As  he 
advanced  in  years,  his  agreeable  manners  and  ready  wit  gave  the 
greatest  pleasure  to  his  parents,  and  their  pleasure  was  increased 
when  King  Saleh  his  uncle,  the  queen  his  grandmother,  and 
the  princesses  his  relations,  came  from  time  to  time  to  share  in 
it.  Prince  Beder,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  knew  all  the  sciences 
that  were  fitting  for  a  prince  of  his  rank.  He  was  also  wise  and 
prudent,  so  that  the  king,  his  father,  who  began  to  feel  the 
weakness  of  old  age,  proposed  to  resign  to  him  the  throne.  He 
had  no  difficulty  in  making  his  council  and  his  people  con- 
sent to  this  arrangement,  for  they  saw  that  the  young  prince  had 
all  the  qualities  of  justice,  mercy,  and  generosity,  which  became 
a  good  and  great  monarch. 

The  day  for  the  young  prince's  coronation  was  appointed,  and 
when  it  arrived,  the  king  of  Persia,  in  the  midst  of  his  ministers 
and  officers,  came  down  from  his  throne,  and,  taking  the  crown 
from  his  head,  put  it  on  the  head  of  his  son.  Then  he  seated 
Prince  Beder  on  the  throne,  and  bowed  down  before  him  as  a 
sign  that  he  gave  up  his  authority  to  him. 

The  first  year  of  King  Beder 's  reign  passed  off  most  happily. 
At  its  close,  the  old  king,  his  father,  fell  so  dangerously  ill  that 
he  knew  he  should  never  recover.  His  only  care  was  to  recom- 
mend to  the  viziers  and  other  lords  to  be  faithful  to  his  son. 
Soon  afterwards  he  died,  to  the  great  grief  of  King  Beder  and 
Queen  Gulnare,  and  his  body  was  borne  to  a  magnificent  tomb. 
After  the  funeral  King  Beder,  in  accordance  with  ancient  custom, 
mourned  a  whole  month,  and  was  not  seen  in  public  during  that 
time.  When  the  month  expired,  the  king,  at  the  request  of  the 


84 

grand  vizier  and  the  other  lords  of  his  court,  laid  aside  his  mourn- 
ing, and  began  to  attend  to  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom  the  same 
as  before  his  father's  death.  Thus  he  continued  to  do  for  the 
space  of  a  year,  and  his  life  was  happy  and  his  reign  prosperous. 


STORY  OF  KING  BEDER  BASIM  AND  THE   PRINCESS 
JOHARAH. 

About  a  year  after  the  death  of  King  Beder  Basim's  father, 
his  uncle,  King  Saleh,  came  to  visit  him.  He  was  received  with 
great  rejoicing  by  King  Beder,  and  his  mother,  Queen  Gulnare. 
One  evening,  talking  of  various  matters,  King  Saleh  began 
to  tell  about  the  beauty  and  good  qualities  of  the  Princess  Jo- 
harah,  the  loveliest  of  the  princesses  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
sea.  King  Beder  was  in  love  with  her  from  his  uncle's  de- 
scription, thpugh  he  had  never  seen  her  or  heard  of  her  be- 
fore, and  he  declared  that  he  must  have  her  for  his  wife. 
But  his  uncle,  and  the  queen  his  mother,  told  him  that  it 
would  be  very  difficult  for  him  to  get  the  Princess  Joharah,  as 
her  father,  the  king  of  Samandal,  would  refuse  to  give  his 
daughter  to  any  earthborn  prince,  no  matter  how  powerful  he 
might  be. 

King  Beder,  however,  set  his  mind  on  having  the  fair  maiden, 
and  he  begged  his  uncle  to  set  out  and  take  him,  without  Queen 
Gulnare 's  knowledge,  to  the  kingdoms  of  the  sea,  that  he  might 
try  to  obtain  the  object  of  his  wishes.  King  Saleh  at  last  con- 
sented, and  after  making  preparations  to  depart,  he  drew  from 
his  finger  a  ring,  on  which  were  engraved  the  same  mysterious 
names  of  God  that  were  upon  Solomon's  seal,  which  had  wrought 
so  many  wonders  by  their  virtue.  "  Here,  take  this  ring,"  said 
he  to  King  Beder,  "  put  it  on  your  finger,  and  fear  neither  the 
waters  of  the  sea,  nor  their  depth."  The  king  of  Persia  took 
the  ring,  and  when  he  had  put  it  on  his  finger,  King  Saleh  said 
to  him,  "  Do  as  I  do. "  Then  they  both  mounted  lightly  up 


85 

into  the  air,  and  made  towards  the  sea,  which  was  not  far  distant, 
and  plunged  into  it. 

The  sea  king  was  not  long  in  arriving  at  his  own  palace,  with 
the  king  of  Persia,  whom  he  immediately  conducted  to  Queen 
Fareshah's  apartment.  While  King  Beder  was  in  conversation 
with  his  relatives,  the  five  princesses  and  others,  Queen  Fareshah 
left  him,  and  went  with  King  Saleh  into  another  chamber. 
There  King  Saleh  told  her  how  the  king  of  Persia  had  fallen  in 
love  with  the  Princess  Joharah,  upon  the  bare  description  of  her 
beauty,  and  that  he  had,  against  his  own  wishes  and  without  the 
knowledge  of  Queen  Gulnare,  brought  him  along  with  him  to  try 
to  procure  the  princess  in  marriage.  "  I  much  wish, "  replied 
the  queen,  "  that  we  had  not  to  make  this  demand,  for  the  suc- 
cess of  our  attempt  is  not  so  certain  as  we  could  desire.  How- 
ever, as  my  grandson's  peace  and  contentment  depend  upon  it, 
I  freely  give  my  consent.  But,  I  advise  you,  as  I  well  know  the 
disposition  of  the  king  of  Samandal,  that  you  take  care  to  offer 
rich  gifts  worthy  a  king  to  give  and  a  king  to  receive. ' ' 

The  queen  prepared  the  present  herself.  It  was  made  up  of 
diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  and  pearls,  all  of  which  she  put  into 
a  rich  box.  Next  morning,  King  Saleh  departed  witlj  a  troop 
of  officers  and  attendants.  He  soon  arrived  at  the  kingdom  and 
the  palace  of  the  king  of  Samandal,  who  made  no  delay  in  re- 
ceiving him.  Rising  up  from  his  throne  when  King  Saleh 
entered,  the  king  of  Samandal  received  the  box  of  jewels,  and 
after  he  had  examined  them  he  said,  "  Prince,  you  would  not 
give  me  such  a  present  unless  you  had  a  request  to  make.  If 
there  is  anything  in  my  power  to  grant,  you  may  command  me, 
and  I  shall  feel  great  pleasure  in  complying  with  your  wishes. 
Speak,  and  tell  me  how  I  can  serve  you. ' ' 

"  I  admit,"  replied  King  Saleh,  "  I  have  a  request  to  make, 
but  I  shall  take  care  to  ask  nothing  that  is  not  in  your  power  to 
grant.  I  come  to  beg  you  to  honor  our  family  with  your  con- 
nection by  the  marriage  of  your  daughter,  and  to  strengthen  the 
good  understanding  that  has  so  long  existed  between  us. ' ' 


86 

At  these  words  the  king  of  Samandal  burst  into  a  loud  laugh, 
falling  back  in  his  throne  against  a  cushion  that  supported  him, 
and  with  a  haughty  air  said,  ' '  King  Saleh,  I  have  always  thought 
you  a  prince  of  great  wisdom  and  prudence,  but  what  you  say 
shows  me  I  was  mistaken.  Tell  me  where  is  your  sense  when 
you  make  such  a  proposal  to  me  ?  Can  you  think  of  asking  in 
marriage  a  princess,  the  daughter  of  so  powerful  a  monarch  as  my- 
self ?  You  ought  to  have  considered  the  great  distance  between 
us,  and  not  run  the  -risk  of  losing  in  a  moment  the  respect  I 
always  had  for  you." 

King  Saleh  was  hurt  at  this  answer,  and  could  scarcely  restrain 
his  anger.  However,  he  replied  with  calmness,  "  O  king,  I  do 
not  demand  your  daughter  for  myself,  but  for  the  young  king  of 
Persia,  my  nephew,  whose  power  and  wealth  cannot  be  unknown 
to  you.  Everybody  acknowledges  the  Princess  Joharah  to  be  the 
most  beautiful  maiden  of  the  sea,  but  the  king  of  Persia  is  the 
handsomest  and  most  accomplished  prince  on  earth.  The  princess 
is  worthy  of  the  king  of  Persia,  and  the  king  of  Persia  is  not 
less  worthy  of  her." 

The  king  of  Samandal,  on  hearing  these  words,  broke  out  into 
insulting  expressions  unworthy  of  a  great  king.  "  Dog,"  cried 
he,  "  dare  you  talk  to  me  in  this  manner,  and  so  much  as 
mention  my  daughter's  name  in  my  presence  ?  Can  you  think 
the  son  of  your  sister  Gulnare  worthy  to  compare  with  my 
daughter  ?  Who  are  you  ?  Who  was  your  father  ?  Who  is 
your  sister  ?  And  who  is  your  nephew  ?  Guards,  seize  the  inso- 
lent wretch,  and  strike  off  his  head. ' ' 

The  king  of  Samandal 's  officers  were  about  to  obey  his  com- 
mands, when  King  Saleh,  who  was  nimble  and  vigorous,  escaped 
from  them  before  they  could  draw  their  swords.  Having 
reached  the  palace  gate,  he  found  there  a  thousand  men  of  his 
own  guards,  who  had  just  arrived,  well  armed.  The  queen,  his 
mother,  foreseeing  the  reception  he  would  meet  from  the  king 
of  Samandal,  had  sent  them  to  protect  and  defend  him  in  case 
of  danger,  ordering  them  to  make  haste.  "Sire,"  cried  his 


87 

friends,  the  moment  he  joined  them,  "  who  has  insulted  you? 
We  are  ready  to  punish  him,  whoever  he  is;  you  need  only  to 
command  us. ' '  King  Saleh  told  them  in  a  few  words  how  mat- 
ters stood,  and  putting  himself  at  their  head,  he  reentered  the 
palace.  The  few  officers  and  guards  who  had  pursued  him  being 
soon  scattered,  he  seized  the  king  of  Samandal  and  then  went 
from  apartment  to  apartment,  to  search  for  the  Princess  Joharah. 
But  she,  on  the  first  alarm,  had,  together  with  her  women,  sprung 
up  to  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and  escaped  to  a  desert  island. 

While  these  events,  passed  in  the  palace  of  the  king  of  Sam- 
andal, some  of  King  Saleh' s  attendants  fled  to  Queen  Fareshah 
and  told  her  of  the  danger  of  her  son.  King  Beder,  who  was 
present  at  the  time,  was  much  distressed,  as  he  himself  was  the 
chief  cause  of  the  trouble.  Not  wishing,  therefore,  to  remain 
in  the  queen's  court  any  longer,  he  left  the  palace,  and  darted 
up  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  But  he  was  not  able  to  find 
his  way  to  his  own  kingdom,  and  without  knowing  it  he  landed 
on  the  island  to  which  the  Princess  Joharah  had  escaped.  Greatly 
disturbed  in  mind,  he  seated  himself  under  the  shade  of  a  pleas- 
ant grove.  He  soon  heard  sounds  of  the  human  voice,  but  was 
too  far  off  to  understand  what  was  said.  He  arose  and  advanced 
towards  the  place  from  which  the  sound  proceeded,  and  there 
among  the  branches  he  saw  a  maiden  whose  beauty  dazzled 
him.  "  Doubtless,"  said  he  within  himself,  stopping  and  look- 
ing at  her  with  great  attention,  "  this  is  the  Princess  Joharah, 
who  through  fear  has  abandoned  her  father's  palace;  or  if  not, 
she  is  some  princess  deserving  of  my  love. ' '  He  then  approached 
the  lady  and  said,  "  Madam,  a  greater  happiness  could  not  have 
come  to  me  than  this  opportunity  to  offer  you  my  services.  I 
beg  you,  therefore,  to  accept  them,  as  it  is  impossible  that  a 
lady  in  this  place  should  not  want  assistance. ' ' 

"  True,  sir,"  replied  Joharah  sorrowfully;  "  I  am  a  princess, 
daughter  of  the  king  of  Samandal,  and  my  name  is  Joharah. 
I  was  happy  in  my  father's  palace,  in  my  own  apartment,  when 
suddenly  I  heard  a  dreadful  noise.  Tidings  were  immediately 


brought  me  that  King  Saleh,  I  know  not  for  what  reason,  had 
forced  the  palace  gates,  seized  the  king  my  father,  and  killed  all 
the  guards.  I  had  time  only  to  save  myself  and  escape  to  this 
place. ' ' 

King  Beder  was  now  sorry  that  he  had  left  his  grandmother  in 
such  haste,  without  staying  for  further  explanation  of  the  news 
that  had  been  brought.  But  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  rejoiced 
to  find  that  his  uncle  had  made  himself  master  of  the  king  of 
Samandal's  person,  feeling  sure  that  the  king  would  consent  to 
give  up  the  princess  for  his  own  liberty.  "  Fair  princess,"  said 
he,  again  addressing  Joharah,  "  your  anxiety  is  natural,  but  it 
is  easy  to  put  an  end  to  it  and  to  your  father's  danger.  I  am 
Beder,  king  of  Persia.  King  Saleh  is  my  uncle.  I  assure  you, 
princess,  he  has  no  intention  to  seize  your  father's  kingdom;  his 
only  wish  is  to  obtain  your  father's  consent  to  my  asking  your 
hand  in  marriage.  I  have  already  given  my  heart  to^ou,  upon 
the  bare  description  of  your  beauty,  and  now  I  declare  that 
I  will  love  you  as  long  as  I  live." 

This  explanation  of  King  Beder  did  not  succeed  as  he  ex- 
pected. When  the  princess  heard  that  he  was  the  cause  of 
all  the  ill-treatment  of  her  father,  and  of  the  grief  and  fright 
she  had  endured,  she  looked  upon  him  as  her  enemy.  How- 
ever, she  resolved  not  to  let  King  Beder  know  of  her  anger, 
but  to  try  to  free  herself  out  of  his  hands.  Pretending,  there- 
fore, to  have  a  great  kindness  for  him,  she  said,  "  Are  you,  then, 
son  of  the  Queen  Gulnare  so  famous  for  her  wit  and  beauty  ? 
I  rejoice  that  you  are  the  son  of  so  worthy  a  mother.  The  king 
my  father  was  wrong  to  oppose  our  marriage.  If  he  had  seen 
you,  he  would  have  consented  to  make  us  happy."  Saying  so 
she  reached  out  her  hand  to  him  as  a  token  of  friendship.  King 
Beder,  in  the  greatest  happiness,  held  forth  his  hand,  and,  taking 
that  of  the  princess,  stooped  down  to  kiss  it,  when  she,  pushing 
him  back,  said,  .' '  Prince,  quit  the  form  of  a  man,  and  take  that  of 
a  white  bird,  with  a  red  bill  and  red  claws. ' '  Upon  her  saying 
these  words,  King  Beder  was  immediately  changed  into  a  bird, 


89 

to  his  great  surprise  and  grief.  ' '  Take  him, ' '  said  she  to  one 
of  her  women,  "  and  carry  him  to  the  Dry  Island." 

Now  Dry  Island  was  only  one  frightful  rock,  where  not  a  drop 
of  water  was  to  be  had.  The  attendant  took  the  bird,  but  she 
felt  much  sympathy  for  King  Beder.  "  It  would  be  a  great 
pity,"  said  she  to  herself,  "  to  let_  such  a  prince  die  of  hunger 
and  thirst.  The  princess,  who  is  good  and  gentle,  will,  perhaps, 
repent  of  this  cruel  order.  It  is  better  to  carry  him  to  a  place 
where  he  may  die  a  natural  death. ' '  She  accordingly  carried 
him  to  a  different  island,  and  left  him  in  a  charming  plain, 
planted  with  all  sorts  of  fruit  trees,  and  watered  by  many  streams. 

In  the  mean  while,  'King  Saleh,  after  he  had  searched  every- 
where for  the  Princess  Joharah,  caused  the  king  of  Samandal  to 
be  shut  up  in  his  own  palace,  under  a  strong  guard.  Then, 
having  appointed  suitable  persons  to  govern  the  kingdom  in  his 
absence,  rfe  returned  to  give  his  mother  an  account  of  what  he 
had  done.  The  first  question  he  asked  on  his  arrival  was  about 
the  king,  his  nephew,  and  he  learned  with  great  surprise  and  much 
vexation  that  he  could  not  be  found.  "  News  being  brought  to 
me, ' '  said  the  queen,  ' '  of  the  danger  you  were  in  at  the  palace 
of  the  king  of  Samandal,  I  gave  orders  to  send  you  other  troops, 
and  just  at  that  time  he  disappeared.  He  must  have  been 
alarmed  at  hearing  of  your  being  in  such  great  danger,  and  thought 
that  he  was  not  safe  with,  us. ' '  This  news  greatly  distressed  King 
Saleh,  who  now  repented  that  he  had  taken  Beder  away  with 
him  without  Queen  Gulnare's  consent.  He  sought  for  him  in 
many  places,  but  in  vain.  Then,  leaving  his  own  kingdom 
under  the  administration  of  his  mother,  he  went  to  govern  that 
of  the  king  of  Samandal,  whom  he  still  held  as  prisoner  though 
treating  him  with  respect  as  a  king. 

The  same  day  that  King  Saleh  left  for  the  kingdom  of  Saman- 
dal, Queen  Gulnare  arrived  at  the  court  of  the  queen  her  mother, 
to  make  inquiries  about  her  son,  for  she  suspected  that  he  had 
gone  with  King  Saleh.  Her  mother  told  her  all  that  happened 
up  to  the  time  of  the  disappearance  of  King  Beder.  "  I  have 


90 

sought  diligently  after  him,"  added  she,  "  and  the  king  my  son, 
who  is  just  gone  to  govern  the  kingdom  of  Samandal,  has  done 
everything  in  his  power.  All  our  endeavors  have  proved  un- 
successful, but  we  must  hope  nevertheless  to  see  him  again, 
perhaps  when  we  least  expect  it. ' ' 

Queen  Gulnare  looked  upon  the  king  her  son  as  lost,  and  la- 
mented him  bitterly,  laying  all  the  blame  on  the  king  his  uncle. 
She  then  took  leave  of  her  mother,  and  returned  to  the  palace 
of  the  capital  of  Persia,  where  she  governed  with  the  prime  minis- 
ter and  council,  in  the  same  way  as  if  the  king  had  been  present. 

Meanwhile  King  Beder,  in  the  form  of  a  bird,  was  alone  on 
the  island.  He  did  not  know  where  he  was,  or  in  what  direction 
the  kingdom  of  Persia  lay.  But  even  if  he  had  known,  and  tried 
to  fly  away,  how  could  he  cross  so  many  vast  seas  ?  And  even 
if  he  reached  his  kingdom,  he  would  still  be  a  bird,  and  nobody 
would  acknowledge  him  as  king.  He  was  therefor^  forced  to 
remain  on  the  island,  live  upon  such  food  as  birds  eat,  and  pass 
the  nights  on  a  tree. 

One  day  a  fowler  chanced  to  come  to  the  place  where  he  was, 
and  seeing  so  fine  a  bird,  he  cast  his  net  over  him  and  caught 
him.  Overjoyed  at  so  great  a  prize,  which  he  thought  of  more 
value  than  the  other  birds  he  commonly  took,  he  shut  it  up  in  a 
cage,  carried  it  to  the  city,  and  going  directly  to  the  palace, 
he  placed  himself  before  the  king's  apai&nent©  The  king  hap- 
pened just  then  to  be  standing  at  the  window,  and  as  soon  as 
he  cast  his  eye  on  the  beautiful  bird,  he  sent  an  officer  of  his 
household  to  buy  it  for  him.  The  officer,  going  to  the  fowler, 
asked  him  how  much  he  would  take  for  the  bird.  "If  it  be  for 
his  Majesty,"  answered  the  fowler,  "  I  humbly  beg  him  to  ac- 
cept it  as  a  present,  and  I  wish  you  to  carry  it  to  him."  The 
officer  took  the  bird  to  the  king,  and  the  king  thought  it  so  beauti- 
ful that  he  ordered  the  officer  to  give  ten  pieces  of  gold  to  the 
fowler,  who  departed  very  well  satisfied.  Then  the  king  com- 
manded them  to  put  the  bird  into  a  magnificent  cage,  where  it 
was  supplied  with  seed  and  water  in  rich  vessels. 


91 

The  officer  brought  the  cage  into  the  royal  chamber,  and  the 
king,  that  he  might  better  view  the  bird,  took  it  out  himself,  and 
perched  it  upon  his  hand.  Looking  earnestly  upon  it,  he  asked 
the  officer  if  he  had  seen  it  eat.  "  Sire,"  replied  the  officer, 
"  the  vessel  with  his  food  is  still  full,  and  I  do  not  think  he  has 
touched  any  of  it. ' '  At  this  moment  the  dinner  being  served 
up,  the  bird,  napping  his  wings,  leaped  off  the  king's  hand  and 
flew  upon  the  table,  where  he  began  to  peck  the  bread  and  meat, 
sometimes  on  one  plate  and  sometimes  on  another.  The  king 
was  so  surprised  that  he  sent  the  captain  of  the  guards  to  request 
the  queen  to  come  and  See  this  wonder.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
queen  came  into  the  room,  and  the  moment  she  looked  at  the 
bird  she  said  to  the  king,  "  Sire,  this  is  not,  as  you  suppose,  a 
bird,  but  a  man,  the  king  of  Persia,  named  Beder,  son  of  the 
celebrated  Gulnare,  nephew  of  Saleh,  and  grandson  of  Queen 
Fareshah.  It  was  the  princess  Joharah,  daughter  of  the  king  of 
Samandal,  who  changed  him  into  a  bird,  and  thus  revenged  her- 
self for  what  King  Saleh  did  to  the  king  of  Samandal,  her 
father." 

The  king,  knowing  that  his  queen  was  a  skillful  magician, 
then  requested  her  to  break  the  enchantment,  that  King  Beder 
might  return  to  his  own  form.  "  Sire,"  said  she  to  the  king, 
"  be  pleased  to  take  the  bird  into  your  private  room,  and. I  will 
present  to  you  a  king  worthy  of  your  consideration. ' '  The  bird 
understood  what  the  king  and  queen  said,  and  so  he  hopped  into 
the  room  before  them.  Soon  afterwards  the  queen  came 
with  a  vessel  full  of  water  in  her  hand.  She  pronounced  over 
the  vessel  some  words,  till  the  water  began  to  boil.  Then  sprink- 
ling a  little  of  the  water  upon  the  bird,  she  said,  "  By  virtue  of 
those  words  I  have  just  pronounced,  quit  the  form  of  a  bird, 
and  take  that  received  from  thy  Creator." 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  the  queen's  mouth  when,  in- 
stead of  a  bird,  the  king  saw  before  him  a  young  prince  of 
beautiful  appearance.  King  Beder  immediately  fell  on  his  knees 
and  thanked  God,  and  he  then  threw  himself  before  the  king, 


92 

who  helped  him  up,  and  embraced  him  with  great  joy.  He 
would  have  thanked  the  queen,  but  she  had  already  gone  to  her 
apartment.  The  king  made  him  sit  at  the  table  with  him,  and 
having  heard  from  his  own  mouth  the  wonders  of  his  history, 
said,  "  Tell  me,  I  beg  of  you,  in  what  way  I  can  further  serve 
you."  "  Sire,"  answered  King  Beder,  "  I  entreat  you  to  grant 
me  one  of  your  ships  to  carry  me  to  Persia,  where  I  fear  the 
queen  my  mother  is  in  great  distress  through  uncertainty  whether 
I  am  alive  or  dead."  The  king  readily  granted  what  he  desired, 
and  King  Beder  embarked,  after  having  taken  leave  of  the 
king,  and  thanked  him  for  all  his  favors! 

The  ship  sailed  with  fair  wind  for  ten  days,  but  on  the  eleventh 
there  arose  a  furious  tempest,  which  drove  the  vessel  out  of  its 
course  so  violently  that  it  struck  against  a  rock  and  sunk.  Most 
of  the  people  were  instantly  drowned.  Some  were  saved  by 
swimming,  and  others  by  getting  on  pieces  of  the  wreck.  King 
Beder  was  among  the  latter,  and  after  having  been  tossed  about 
for  some  time  by  the  waves,  he  at  length  found  himself  near  the 
shore,  and  not  far  from  a  large  city.  Exerting  his  remaining 
strength  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  reach  the  land.  He  had 
scarcely  done  so,  when  to  his  great  surprise  he  saw  horses,  camels, 
mules,  asses,  oxen,  cows,  bulls,  and  other  animals  crowding  to 
the  shore,  and  putting  themselves  in  an  attitude  to  oppose  his 
landing.  With  the  utmost  difficulty  he  forced  his  way  against 
them,  and  sheltered  himself  among  the  rocks,  till  he  had  recov- 
ered his  strength  and  dried  his  clothes  in  the  sun. 

When  the  prince  advanced  to  enter  the  city,  he  met  with  the 
same  opposition  from  these  animals,  who  seemed  to  wish  to  make 
him  give  up  his  purpose,  and  get  him  to  understand  it  was  dangerous 
to  proceed.  King  Beder,  however,  entered  the  city,  and  there  he 
saw  many  fine  streets,  but  was  surprised  to  find  no  human  beings. 
This  made  him  think  that  it  was  not  without  cause  that  so  many 
animals  had  opposed  his  passage.  Going  forward  he  observed 
several  shops  open,  which  gave  him  reason  to  believe  that  the 
place  was  not  destitute  of  inhabitants.  He  approached  one  of 


93 

these  shops,  where  several  sorts  of  fruit  were  exposed  for  sale, 
and  saluted  an  old  man  who  was  sitting  within. 

The  old  man  lifted  up  his  head,  and  seeing  King  Beder,  asked 
him  where  he  came  from,  and  what  business  brought  him  there. 
King  Beder  told  him  in  a  few  words,  and  the  old  man  further 
asked  him  if  he  had  met  anybody  on  the  road.  ' '  You  are  the 
first  person  I  have  seen,"  answered  the  king,  "  and  I  cannot 
understand  why  so  fine  and  large  a  city  is  without  inhabitants. ' ' 
"  Come  in,  sir,  stay  no  longer  upon  the  threshold,"  replied  the 
old  man,  "  or  perhaps  some  misfortune  may  happen  to  you.  I 
will  give  you  a  reason  why  it  is  necessary  you  should  take  this 
precaution. ' ' 

King  Beder  entered  the  shop,  and  the  old  man  immediately  set 
food  before  him  and  would  not  tell  him  anything  till  he  had  done 
eating.  When  he  found  he  ate  no  longer,  he  said  to  him,  "  You 
have  great  reason  to  thank  God  that  you  got  here  without  ac- 
cident."  "  Alas  !  why?  "  asked  King  Beder,  much  surprised 
and  alarmed.  "  Because,"  answered  he,  "  this  is  the  City  of 
Enchantments.  It  is  governed  by  a  queen,  who,  though  a  most 
beautiful  woman,  is  a  most  dangerous  sorceress.  These  horses, 
mules,  and  other  animals  you  have  seen,  are  all  men,  like  ourselves, 
whom  she  has  changed  into  their  present  shapes  by  her  magic. 
She  receives  in  the  kindest  manner  strangers  who  enter  the  city. 
She  entertains  them  magnificently,  and  gives  them  reason  to  believe 
that  she  loves  them.  But  she  does  not  allow  them  to  enjoy  this 
happiness  long.  There  is  not  one  of  them  but  she  has  changed 
into  some  animal  or  bird  at  the  end  of  forty  days.  These  ani- 
mals who  opposed  your  landing,  and  tried  to  hinder  you  from 
entering  the  city,  did  all  they  could  to  make  you  understand  that 
you  were  exposing  yourself  to  danger. ' ' 

This  account  greatly  distressed  the  young  king  of  Persia. 
' '  Alas  ! ' '  cried  he,  ' '  to  what  evils  has  my  ill  fortune  brought 
me  !  I  am  hardly  free  from  one  enchantment,  which  I  look  back 
upon  with  horror,  when  I  find  myself  exposed  to  another  much 
more  terrible. ' '  Then  he  related  his  story  to  the  old  man  more 


94 

at  length,  and  told  him  of  his  love  for  the  princess  of  Samandal, 
and  her  cruelty  in  changing  him  into  a  bird  the  very  moment  he 
had  declared  his  love  to  her.  When  the  prince  came  to  speak 
of  his  good  fortune  in  finding  a  queen  who  broke  the  enchant- 
ment, the  old  man  to  encourage  him  said,  "  Though  all  I  have 
told  you  of  the  magic  of  the  queen  of  this  city  is  true,  that  ought 
not  to  give  you  the  least  trouble,  for  I  am  beloved  throughout 
the  city,  and  am  not  unknown  to  the  queen  herself,  who  has 
much  respect  for  me.  It  was  your  good  fortune  which  led  you 
to  me  rather  than  to  any  one  else.  You  are  safe  in  my  house, 
where  I  advise  you  to  remain,  and  I  assure  you,  you  will  have  no 
cause  to  complain  of  me." 

King  Beder  thanked  the  old  man  for  the  kind  protection  he 
was  pleased  to  afford  him.  He  then  sat  down  at  the  entrance  of 
the  shop,  where  he  attracted  the  attention  of  all  who  passed. 
The  old  man  soon  became  as  fond  of  him  as  if  he  were  his  own 
son,  and  his  fondness  increased  every  day  during  the  stay  he 
made  with  him. 

They  had  lived  about  a  month  together,  when  when  one  day,  as 
King  Beder  was  sitting  at  the  shop  door,  the  magic  queen,  whose 
name  was  Labe,  passed  by  with  great  pomp.  Her  guards,  a  thou- 
sand in  number,  four  files  deep,  clothed  in  purple  uniform,  and 
well  armed  and  mounted,  marched  first  with  their  swords  drawn, 
each  officer  as  he  passed  by  the  shop  saluting  the  old  man.  Then 
followed  the  same  number  of  servants  of  the  household,  dressed 
in  brocaded  silk,  and  better  mounted,  -and  their  officers  also 
saluted  the  old  man.  Next  came  as  many  young  ladies  on  foot, 
all  beautiful  and  richly  dressed.  They  marched  with  short  rods 
in  their  hands,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  appeared  Queen  Labe, 
on  a  horse  glittering  with  diamonds  and  a  golden  saddle.  Air 
the  young  ladies  saluted  the  old  man  as  they  passed  him,  and 
the  queen,  struck  with  the  good  looks  of  King  Beder,  stopped 
as  soon  as  she  came  before  the  shop.  "  Abdallah, "  said  she  to 
the  old  man,  for  that  was  his  name,  "  tell  me,  does  that  beauti- 


95 

ful  and  charming  slave  belong  to  thee  ?  and  hast  thou  long  been 
in  possession  of  him  ?  ' ' 

Abdallah,  before  he  answered  the  queen,  bowed  down  to  the 
ground,  and  rising  again,  said,  "  Madam,  having  no  children, 
I  look  upon  him  as  my  son,  and  sent  for  him  to  come  and  live 
with  me."  "  Father,"  said  Queen  Labe,  "  will  you  not  oblige 
me  so  far  as  to  make  me  a  present  of  this  young  man  ?  Do  not 
refuse  me,  I  beg  you,  and  I  will  make  him  so  great  and  powerful 
that  no  person  in  the  world  ever  had  such  good  fortune.  Although 
I  do  evil  to  all  mankind,  he  shall  be  an  exception.  I  promise 
you,  you  shall  never  have  any  cause  to  regret  having  obliged  me 
in  this  manner. ' '  Old  Abdallah  was  greatly  grieved,  both  on  his 
own  account  and  King  Beder's,  for  he  knew  he  had  to  obey  the 
queen.  "  Madam,"  replied  he,  "I  put  entire  confidence  in 
your  word,  and  I  do  not  doubt  you  will  keep  it.  I  only  beg  of 
you  to  delay  this  great  honor  to  my  nephew  till  you  shall  again 
pass  our  way."  "  That  shall  be  to-morrow,"  said  the  queen, 
who  bowed  her  head,  as  a  token  of  being  pleased,  and  then 
went  towards  her  palace. 

The  queen  did  not  fail  to  pass  by  the  old  man's  shop  the  next 
day,  with  the  same  pomp  as  before.  Abdallah  waited  for  her 
with  great  respect.  "  Father, ' '  cried  she,  "  you  may  judge  of  my 
impatience  to  have  your  adopted  son  with  me,  by  my  coming  so 
punctually  to  remind  you  of  your  promise.  I  know  you  are  a  man 
of  your  word,  and  I  cannot  think  you  will  break  it  with  me." 

Abdallah,  who  bowed  down  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  queen  ap- 
proaching, rose  up  when  she  had  done  speaking,  and  as  he 
wished  to  talk  to  her  privately  he  advanced  as  far  as  her  horse's 
head,  and  then  said  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  hope  you  will  not  be 
offended  at  my  seeming  unwillingness  to  trust  my  adopted  son 
with  you  yesterday.  You  well  know  the  reasons  I  had  for  it,  and 
you  will  make  me  very  miserable  if  you  deal  with  him  as  you 
have  done  with  others."  "  I  promise  you  I  will  not,"  replied 
the  queen.  Upon  this  the  old  man  turned  to  King  Beder,  and 


96 

taking  him  by  the  arm,  presented  him  to  the  queen.  ' '  Madam, ' ' 
said  he,  "  I  beg  you  to  let  him  come  and  see  me  sometimes." 
The  queen  promised  he  should,  and  as  a  further  mark  of  her 
gratitude,  she  gave  Abdallah  a  purse  of  a  thousand  pieces  of 
gold.  She  had  caused  a  horse  to  be  brought,  with  trappings  as 
rich  as  her  own,  for  the  king  of  Persia,  and  he  mounted  imme- 
diately and  then  they  rode  off. 

Having  arrived  at  the  palace,  they  all  dismounted,  and  the 
queen,  giving  her  hand  to  King  Beder,  entered  with  him,  accom- 
panied by  her  women  and  chief  officers.  She  herself  showed  him 
through  the  palace,  and  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  gold, 
precious  stones,  and  furniture  of  wonderful  magnificence.  After 
a  short  time,  a  banquet  was  served  on  gold  plate,  at  which 
there  was  every  sort  of  rich  food  that  could  be  prepared  for  a 
queen's  table.  In  the  evening  there  was  a  concert,  and  other 
amusements,  to  add  to  the  pleasure  of  the  guest  whom  the 
queen  and  her  ladies  desired  to  honor. 

Queen  Labe  treated  King  Beder  after  this  manner  for  forty 
days,  as  she  had  treated  other  young  strangers  who  visited  the 
city.  But  on  the  fortieth  night,  believing  him  to  be  asleep,  she 
entered  his  chamber  without  making  any  noise.  Though  King 
Beder  was  awake,  he  pretended  to  be  sleeping,  and  feeling  cer- 
tain she  meant  some  evil  against  him,  he  watched  all  her 
motions.  She  opened  a  chest  and  took  from  it  a  little  box  full 
of  yellow  powder,  some  of  which  she  scattered  upon  the  floor, 
and  immediately  it  became  a  stream  of  running  water,  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  King  Beder.  Queen  Labe  next  took 
some  of  the  water  in  a  vessel,  and  poured  it  into  a  basin  that  con- 
tained flour,  which  she  kneaded  for  a  long  time.  Then  she 
mixed  with  it  drugs  which  she  took  from  different  boxes,  and 
made  a  cake,  and  she  put  the  cake  into  a  baking  pan,  and  placed 
it  upon  burning  coals.  While  the  cake  was  baking  she  put  up 
the  vessels  and  boxes  in  their  places,  and  on  her  saying  certain 
words  the  stream  of  water  disappeared.  When  the  cake  was 
baked,  she  took  it  off  the  coals  and,  carrying  it  with  her,  left  the 


97 

chamber.  King  Beder,  as  soon  as  he  got  up,  expressed  a  great 
desire  to  go  and  see  Abdallah,  and  begged  the  queen  to  permit 
him  to  do  so.  "  Go,"  said  she,  "  you  have  my  consent,  but  do 
not  be  long  away  as  I  cannot  live  without  you." 

Old  Abdallah  was  overjoyed  to  see  King  Beder.  He  embraced 
him  tenderly,  and  King  Beder  returned  his  embrace.  As  soon 
as  they  sat  down,  Abdallah  said  to  the  king,  "  Well,  how  have 
you  passed  your  time  with  that  wicked  sorceress  ?  "  "So  far, ' ' 
answered  King  Beder,  "  she  has  been  very  kind  to  me,  but  I 
observed  something  last  night  which  gives  me  reason  to  suspect 
that  all  her  kindness  is  but  pretense. ' '  He  then  told  Abdallah 
what  he  had  seen  Queen  Labe  doing  in  his  room,  and  he  said, 
"  This  makes  me  think  she  intends  to  keep  none  of  her  promises 
to  you,  so  I  resolved  to  come  to  you  immediately."  "  You  are 
not  mistaken,"  replied  old  Abdallah;  "  but  fear  nothing.  I 
know  how  to  make  the  mischief  she  intends  for  you  fall  upon 
herself.  It  is  now  time  she  should  be  treated  as  she  deserves." 

So  saying,  Abdallah  gave  two  cakes  to  King  Beder,  and  said  to 
him,  "  Take  these  cakes  and  give  one  to  the  queen.  She  will 
then  give  you  a  cake,  but  beware  of  eating  it.  Pretend  that  you 
eat  of  it,  but  eat  of  this  instead.  If  you  eat  even  one  grain  of 
her  cake,  her  enchantment  will  have  power  over  you,  and  she 
will  change  you  into  a  beast  saying,  'Quit  this  human  form.' 
But  if  you  do  not  eat  of  it,  her  enchantment  will  have  no  power 
over  you,  and  she  can  do  you  no  harm.  Then  ask  her  to  eat  of 
your  cake,  and  when  she  eats  even  one  grain,  you  will  have 
power  over  her.  Take  some  water  in  your  hand  and  throw  it  in 
her  face  and  say  to  her,  '  Quit  this  human  form, '  and  tell  her  to 
take  any  form  you  please.  Then  leave  her  and  come  to  me,  and 
I  will  tell  you  what  next  to  do. ' ' 

King  Beder,  after  thanking  Abdallah  in  the  warmest  words, 
returned  to  the  palace.  Upon  his  arrival  he  was  told  that  the 
queen  waited  for  him  with  great  impatience  in  the  garden. 
He  went  at  once  into  the  garden,  and  as  soon  as.  she  saw  him 
she  came  in  great  haste  to  meet  him.  "  My  dear  Beder,"  said 

ARABIAN    NIGHTS  —  7 


98 

she,  "  it 'seems  ages  that  I  have  been  separated  from  you.  If 
you  had  stayed  ever  so  little  longer  I  would  have  come  to  fetch 
you."  "  Madam,"  replied  King  Beder,  "  I  assure  you  I  was 
no  less  impatient  to  be  with  you,  but  I  could  not  refuse  to  stay 
for  a  little  while  with  an  uncle  who  loves  me.  Of  all  the  good 
things  he  prepared  for  me,  I  have  brought  away  only  this  cake 
which  I  wish  your  Majesty  to  accept."  King  Beder,  having 
taken  out  one  of  the  cakes  which  he  had  wrapped  in  a  handker- 
chief, presented  it  to  the  queen,  saying,  "  I  beg  your  Highness  to 
accept  of  it. "  "  I  do  accept  it  with  all  my  heart,"  replied  the 
queen,  "  but  before  I  taste  of  it  I  wish  you  first  to  eat  a  piece 
of  this,  which  I  made  for  you  during  your  absence."  "  Fair 
queen,"  answered  King  Beder,  receiving  it  with  great  respect, 
"  I  cannot  sufficiently  thank  you  for  the  favor  you  do  me." 

King  Beder  then  quickly  put  in  the  place  of  the  queen's  cake 
the  other  which  old  Abdallah  had  given  him,  and  breaking  off  a 
piece  and  eating  it,  he  cried,  "Ah  !  queen,  I  never  tasted  any- 
thing so  excellent  in  my  life. ' '  The  queen,  seeing  him  swallow 
one  bit  of  the  cake  and  ready  to  eat  another,  took  in  the  palm 
of  her  hand  a  little  water  from  a  fountain  which  was  near  by,  and 
throwing  it  in  the  king's  face  said,  "  Slave,  quit  the  form  of  a 
man  and  take  that  of  a  horse,  blind  and  lame." 

But  these  words  had  no  effect,  as  King  Beder  had  not  eaten  of 
the  queen's  cake,  and  so  he  still  remained  in  the  form  of  a  man. 
Queen  Labe  was  surprised  and  disappointed,  but  she  pretended 
that  she  meant  no  harm  to  King  Beder.  "  Dear  Beder,"  cried 
she,  "  this  is  nothing.  I  did  not  intend  you  any  harm;  I  did 
it  only  to  see  what  you  would  say.  I  should  be  the  worst  of 
women  if  I  attempted  so  evil  a  deed,  after  all  the  promises  I 
have  made  for  your  safety."  "  Great  queen,"  replied  King 
Beder,  "  I  am  sure  that  what  you  did  was  only  to  amuse  yourself. 
But,  madam,  let  us  forget  this  matter;  and  now  as  I  have  eaten 
of  your  cake,  will  you  do  me  the  favor  to  taste  mine  ?  ' ' 

Queen  Labe  broke  off  a  piece  of  the  cake  and  ate  it.  Imme- 
diately she  appeared  much  troubled,  and  remained  motionless. 


99 

King  Beder  lost  no  time  but  took  water  out  of  the  fountain,  and 
throwing  it  in  her  face,  cried,  "  Wicked  queen  !  quit  the  form 
of  a  woman,  and  be  turned  instantly  into  a  mule. ' '  The  same 
moment  Queen  Labe  was  changed  into  a  mule,  and  her  grief  was 
so  great  to  find  herself  in  that  condition  that  she  shed  tears  in 
abundance,  and  bowed  her  head  to  the  feet  of  King  Beder,  think- 
ing to  move  him  to  pity.  The  king,  however,  led  her  into  the 
stable  belonging  to  the  palace,  and  put  her  into  the  hands  of  a 
groom,  to  be  bridled  and  saddled,  but  of  all  the  bridles  which  the 
groom  tried  upon  her,  not  one  would  fit.  This  surprised  King 
Beder,  so  he  led  the  mule  to  Abdallah's,  and  told  the  old  man 
all  that  had  happened.  Abdallah  bridled  the  mule  himself  with  a 
bridle  he  had  in  his  house,  and  then  he  said  to  the  king,  "  Prince, 
you  have  no  reason  to  stay  any  longer  in  this  city;  mount  the 
mule  and  return  to  your  kingdom.  I  have  but  one  thing  more 
to  recommend  to  you,  and  that  is,  if  you  should  ever  happen  to 
part  with  the  mule,  be  sure  not  to  give  up  the  bridle. ' '  King 
Beder  promised  to  remember  this,  and  having  taken  leave  of  the 
good  old  man,  he  departed. 

The  king  of  Persia  rode  on  for  three  days,  when  he  arrived  at 
a  great  city,  and  entering  the  suburbs,  he  met  a  venerable  old 
man.  "  Sir,"  said  the  old  man,  stopping  him,  "  may  I  ask 
from  what  part  of  the  world  you  come  ?  ' '  The  king  halted  to 
answer  him,  and  as  they  were  talking  an  old  woman  came  up, 
and  stopping,  she  wept  and  sighed  at  the  sight  of  the  mule. 

King  Beder  and  the  old  man  left  off  talking  to  look  at  the  old 
woman,  and  the  king  asked  her  why  she  was  in  so  much  grief. 
"Alas  !  sir,"  she  replied,  "it  is  because  your  mule  resembles  so 
much  one  my  son  had,  the  loss  of  which  I  mourn  on  his 
account.  Sell  this  one  to  me,  I  beseech  you;  I  will  give  you 
more  than  it  is  worth,  and  thank  you,  too.. "  "  Good  woman, ' ' 
replied  King  Beder,  "  I  cannot  comply  with  your  request. 
My  mule  is  not  to  be  sold,  but  if  it  were,  I  believe  you  would 
hardly  give  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  for  it,  and  I  could  not 
sell  it  for  less."  "Why  should  I  not  give  that?"  replied 


IOO 

the  old  woman;  "  if  it  be  the  lowest  price,  you  need  only  to  say 
yo\i  will  take  it,  and  I  will  fetch  you  the  money. ' ' 

King  Beder,  seeing  the  old  woman  so  poorly  dressed,  could 
not  think  she  could  find  such  a  sum,  and  said,  to  try  her,  "  Go, 
fetch  me  the  money,  and  the  mule  is  yours."  The  old  woman 
immediately  opened  a  purse  which  hung  from  her  girdle,  and 
took  out  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold. 

The  surprise  of  King  Beder,  at  the  sight  of  the  gold,  was  very 
great.  ' '  Good  woman, ' '  said  he,  ' '  do  you  not  see  I  have  been 
joking  you  all  this  while  ?  I  assure  you  my  mule  is  not  to  be 
sold."  The  old  man,  who  had  been  witness  to  all  that  had 
passed,  now  began  to  speak.  "  Son,"  said  he  to  King  Beder, 
"  it  is  necessary  you  should  know  one  thing,  and  that  is  that  in 
this  city  no  one  is  permitted  on  any  account  whatever  to  deceive 
another.  Any  one  who  does  so  is  put  to  death.  You  cannot 
refuse  taking  this  woman's  money  and  giving  her  the  mule  when 
she  pays  you  the  sum  according  to  agreement. ' ' 

King  Beder  was  vexed  to  find  himself  thus  entrapped  by  his  rash 
offer,  but  he  dismounted,  and  gave  the  mule  to  the  old  woman. 
She  immediately  seized  the  reins  and  unbridled  the  mule. 
Then,  taking  some  water  in  her  hand  from  a  stream  that  ran  in 
the  middle  of  the  street,  she  threw  it  in  the  mule's. face,  uttering 
these  words:  "  Daughter,  take  again  thine  own  form."  Instantly 
Queen  Labe  was  in  her  own  form,  and  the  old  woman,  who  was 
in  reality  the  queen's  mother,  embraced  her  daughter  with  joy. 
The  old  woman  then  uttered  a  loud  whistle,  and  in  a  moment  a 
gigantic  genie  appeared.  This  genie  immediately  took  King 
Beder  on  one  shoulder,  and  the  old  woman  with  the  magic  queen 
on  the  other,  and  carried  them  in  a  few  minutes  to  the  palace  of 
Queen  Labe  in  the  City  of  Enchantments. 

Here  the  magic  queen  began  at  once. to  abuse  King  Beder. 
"  Is  it  thus,"  said  she,  "  that  you  and  your  unworthy  uncle  repay 
all  the  kindness  I  have  done  you  ?  I  shall  punish  you  both  as 
you  deserve."  Then,  taking  water  in  her  hand,  she  threw  it  in 
his  face,  with  these  words :  "  Quit  the  form  of  a  man,  and  take 


IOI 

that  of  an  owl. ' '  Immediately  the  king  became  an  owl,  and  the 
wicked  queen  commanded  one  of  her  women  to  shut  him  up  in 
a  cage  and  give  him  neither  meat  nor  drink. 

The  woman  took  the  cage,  but  having  pity  on  the  bird,  she 
gave  him  both  meat  and  drink.  Then  she  went  to  old  Abdallah 
and  told  him  how  the  queen  had  treated  his  nephew,  and  Ab- 
dallah, after  thanking  her,  said,  "  I  must  take  the  city  from  this 
queen  and  make  you  queen  in  her  stead. ' '  He  then  uttered  a 
loud  whistle,  and  there  immediately  arose  a  genie  with  four 
wings,  who  presented  himself  before  Abdallah  and  asked 
what  he  would  have.  "  Genie,"  said  Abdallah,  "  I  command 
you  to  preserve  the  life  of  King  Beder,  son  of  Queen  Gulnare. 
Carry  this  woman  who  has  the  care  of  the  cage  to  the  capital  of 
Persia,  that  she  may  inform  Queen  Gulnare  of  the  danger  her  son 
is  in  and  the  need  he  has  of  her  assistance. ' '  The  genie  im- 
mediately lifted  the  woman  up  into  the  air,  carried  her  to  the 
capital  of  Persia,  and  placed  her  on  the  terrace  of  Gulnare's 
palace.  She  at  once  entered  the  palace  and  there  found  Queen 
Gulnare,  and  Queen  Fareshah,  her  mother,  lamenting  about  King 
Beder.  When  she  told  them  where  he  was  they  greatly  rejoiced, 
and  Queen  Gulnare,  calling  her  brother  Saleh  speedily  from  the 
sea,  said  to  him,  "  Brother,  the  king,  your  nephew,  my  dear  son, 
is  in  the  City  of  Enchantments,  under  the  power  of  Queen  Labe. 
We  must  go  to  deliver  him,  and  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost." 

King  Saleh  immediately  gathered  an  army  of  his  troops,  who 
rose  out  of  the  sea.  He  also  called  to  his  assistance  the  genies, 
who  appeared  with  an  army  far  greater  than  his  own.  As  soon 
as  the  two  armies  were  joined,  he  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
them,  with  Queen  Fareshah,  Queen  Gulnare,  and  the  princesses, 
who  all  wished  to  take  part  in  freeing  King  Beder.  They  then 
ascended  into  the  air,  and  soon  poured  down  on  the  palace  and 
City  of  Enchantments,  where  they  killed  the  magic  queen  and 
her  mother. 

Queen  Gulnare  now  bade  Queen  Labe's  attendant  to  fetch 
the  cage  in  which  her  son  was,  and  when  it  was  brought  to  her 


IO2 

she  opened  it,  and  took  out  the  owl,  saying,  as  she  sprinkled  a  lit- 
tle water  upon  him,  "  My  dear  son,  quit  that  form  and  take  thy 
natural  one  of  a  man. "  In  a  moment  Queen  Gulnare,  instead  of 
the  owl,  saw  King  Beder,  her  son.  She  embraced  him  with  joy, 
and  the  king  his  uncle  and  all  his  relations  did  the  same. 

Queen  Gulnare 's  next  care  was  to  send  for  old  Abdallah,  and 
when  he  came  she  thanked  him  for  his  kindness  to  her  son.  She 
also  made  him  king  of  the  City  of  Enchantments,  and  gave  him 
Queen  Labe's  lady  attendant  to  be  his  wife.  Then  King  Beder 
said  to  his  mother,  "  Madam,  I  am  heartily  glad  of  this  match 
which  your  Majesty  has  just  made.  There  remains  one  more 
which  I  wish  you  to  think  of."  Queen  Gulnare  did  not  at  first 
think  what  marriage  he  meant,  but  after  a  little  she  said,  "  Of 
your  own  marriage  you  mean,  son  ?  I  consent  to  it  with  all 
my  heart. ' '  Then,  turnftig  and  looking  at  her  brother's  sea  attend- 
ants and'  the  genies  who  were  still  present,  she  said,  "  Go  and 
traverse  both  sea  and  land,  to  seek  the  most  lovely  princess 
worthy  of  the  king  my  son,  and  when  you  have  found  her  come 
and  tell  us."  "  Madam,"  said  King  Beder,  "  it  is  not  necessary 
for  them  to  take  all  that  trouble.  You  have  no  doubt  heard  that 
I  have  already  given  my  heart  to  the  princess  of  Samandal. 
Neither  earth  nor  sea,  in  my  opinion,  can  furnish  a  princess  like 
her.  It  is  true  that  upon  declaring  my  love  she  treated  me 
cruelly.  But  I  hold  her  excused,  for  she  could  not  treat  me 
otherwise  after  my  uncle  imprisoning  the  king  her  father,  of 
which  I  was  the  cause.  But  the  king  of  Samandal  may  be  re- 
stored to  his  kingdom,  and  may  consent  to  my  marriage  with  the 
princess  his  daughter,  if  she  will  declare  her  love  to  me." 
"  Son,"  replied  Queen  Gulnare,  "  if  the  Princess  Joharah  can 
make  you  happy,  I  will  not  oppose  you.  The  king  your  uncle 
can  have  the  king  of  Samandal  brought  here,  and  we  shall  see 
whether  his  mind  is  changed." 

King  Saleh  then  caused  a  dish  of  coals  to  be  brought,  and  into 
it  he  threw  a  certain  composition,  uttering  at  the  same  time  some 
mysterious  words.  As  soon  as  the  smoke  began  to  rise,  the 


103 

palace  shook,  and  immediately  the  king  of  Samandal,  with  King 
Saleh's  officers,  appeared.  The  king  of  Persia  cast  himself  at  the 
king  of  Samandal' s  feet,  and  begged  of  him  his  daughter  in 
marriage.  The  king  of  Samandal  now  consented,  and  ordered 
some  of  his  attendants  to  go  for  the  princess  and  bring  her  to  him 
immediately.  So  they  flew  through  the  air  and  were  absent  a 
little  while,  after  which  they  came  back  accompanied  by  the 
Princess  Joharah. 

On  her  arrival,  the  king  of  Samandal  embraced  her  and  said, 
"  Daughter,  I  have  provided  a  husband  for  you;  it  is  the  king 
of  Persia,  the  greatest  monarch  at  present  in  the  world." 
"  Sir,"  replied  the  princess,  "  you  well  know  that  I  am  always 
ready  to  obey  you.  I  hope  the  king  of  Persia  will  forget  my  ill- 
treatment  of  him,  and  consider  it  was  duty,  not  inclination,  that 
forced  me  to  it." 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  in  the  palace  of  the  City  of  En- 
chantments, and  was  attended  by  all  the  princes  and  princesses 
whom  the  magic  queen  had  changed  into  animals,  for  all  those 
princes  and  princesses  were  now  restored  to  their  proper  forms. 
King  Saleh  conducted  the  king  of  Samandal  to  his  capital,  and 
put  him  again  in  possession  of  his  throne.  King  Beder  returned 
to  his  own  capital  with  his  queen  and  his  mother.  They  were 
accompanied  by  Queen  Fareshah  and  the  princesses,  who  re- 
mained with  the  king  and  queen  of  Persia  till  King  Saleh  came 
to  bring  them  home  to  his  kingdom  under  the  waves  of  the  sea. 


STORY  OF  THE  THREE  SISTERS. 

There  was  once  a  sultan  of  Persia  named  Khoonooshah.  He 
often  walked  in  disguise  through  the  city  in  which  he  lived,  ac- 
companied by  his  vizier,  and  they  sometimes  met  with  strange 
adventures.  One  evening  they  were  passing  through  a  street  in 
that  part  of  the  town  inhabited  only  by  poor  people,  when  they 
heard  some  persons  talking  very  loud.  Going  close  to  the  house 


104 

from  which  the  sound  of  voices  came,  they  saw  a  light,  and  look- 
ing through  the  window  they  saw  three  young  women  sitting  on 
a  sofa  conversing  together. 

Now  these  three  young  women  were  sisters,  and  they  were 
telling  one  another  what  they  would  wish  for  if  they  could  get 
their  wishes.  The  eldest  sister  wished  that  she  had  the  sultan's 
baker  for  her  husband,  "  for  then,"  said  she,  "  I  could  eat  my 
fill  of  the  best  bread. ' '  The  second  sister  wished  that  she  was 
the  wife  of  the  sultan's  chief  cook,  "  for  then,"  said  she,  "  I 
could  eat  my  fill  of  all  the  best  dishes,  and  have  the  best  bread 
too."  The  youngest  sister,  who  was  very  beautiful,  and  had 
more  intelligence  than  the  two  elder,  then  spoke.  "  For  my 
part, ' '  said  she,  ' '  I  shall  not  wish  for  such  trifles,  but  for  some- 
thing higher  and  better.  Since  we  are  upon  wishing,  I  wish  I 
was  the  sultan's  wife,  and  then  I  should  have  everything  I 
wanted. ' ' 

The  wishes  of  the  three  sisters,  particularly  that  of  the  youngest, 
very  much  amused  the  sultan,  who  heard  what  the  sisters  had 
said,  and  he  resolved  that  their  desires  should  be  gratified,  but 
he  did  not  tell  this  to  his  vizier.  He  ordered  him,  however,  to 
bring  the  three  sisters  before  him  the  following  day. 

The  vizier  accordingly  brought  the  three  sisters  next  morning, 
and  presented  them  to  the  sultan,  who  said  to  them,  "  Do  you 
remember  the  wishes  you  expressed  last  night,  when  you  were 
all  in  so  pleasant  a  mood  ?  Speak  the  truth ;  I  must  hear  from 
you  what  they  were."  At  these  words  the  three  sisters  were 
much  troubled.  They  cast  down  their  eyes  and  blushed,  fearing 
they  had  offended  the  sultan  by  their  conversation.  The  sultan 
seeing  their  confusion  said,  to  encourage  them,  "Fear  nothing;  I 
did  not  send  for  you  to  distress  you,  and  as  I  already  know  of 
your  wishes,  I  will  relieve  you  of  your  fears.  You  who  wished 
to  be  my^wife  shall  have  your  desire  this  day;  and  you,"  con- 
tinued he,  addressing  the  two  elder  sisters,  "  shall  be  married  to 
my  chief  baker  and  cook." 

The  marriages  all  took  place  that  day,  as  the  sultan  had  re- 


105 

solved,  but  in  a  very  different  manner.  The  youngest  sister's 
wedding  was  celebrated  with  all  the  rejoicings  usual  at  the  mar- 
riages of  the  sultans  of  Persia,  and  those  of  the  other  two 
sisters,  according  to  the  positions  of  their  husbands,  the  one  as 
the  sultan's  chief  baker  and  the  other  as  head  cook. 

Now,  though  the  two  elder  sisters  got  what  they  had  wished 
for,  they  soon  began  to  be  jealous  of  their  younger  sister  because 
she  was  queen,  and  they  resolved  to  do  something  against  her  '. 
while  pretending  friendship  and  affection.  And  so,  when  the 
queen  gave  birth  to  a  son,  about  a  year  after  her  marriage,  the 
two  sisters,  who  were  attending  her,  took  the  infant,  wrapped 
him  up  in  a  basket,  and  floated  it  away  on  a  canal  that  ran  near 
th^jjalace.  Then  they  told  the  sultan  that  it  was  a  little  dog  the 
queen  had  instead  of  a  baby,  and  this  made  the  sultan  angry  with 
the  queen. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  basket  in  which  the  little  prince  was  ex- 
posed was  carried  by  the  stream  towards  the  garden  of  the  palace. 
By  chance,  the  superintendent  of  the  sultan's  gardens,  one  of 
the  principal  officers  of  the  kingdom,  was  walking  at  the  time  by 
the  side  of  this  canal.  Seeing  a  basket  floating,  he  called  to  a 
gardener  to  bring  it  to  shore,  that  he  might  find  what  it  con- 
tained. The  gardener,  with  a  rake  which  he  had  in  his  hand, 
drew  the  basket  to  the  side  of  the  canal,  took  it  up,  and  gave  it 
to  the  superintendent,  who  was  surprised  at  finding  the  child. 

Now  the  superintendent  had  been  married  several  years,  but 
though  he  had  always  wished  to  have  children,  Heaven  had  never 
blessed  him  with  any.  He  therefore  made  the  gardener  follow 
him  with  the  child,  and  when  he  came  to  his  own  house,  which 
was  at  the  entrance  to  the  gardens  of  the  palace,  he  went  into  his 
wife's  apartment  and  said  to  her,  "  Wife,  as  we  have  no  children 
of  our  own,  God  has  sent  us  one.  I  recommend  him  to  you,  and 
wish  you  to  take  as  much  care  of  him  as  if  he  were  our  own  son, 
for,  from  this  moment,  I  adopt  him  as  such."  The  superin- 
tendent's wife  received  the  child  with  great  joy. 

The  following  year  the  queen  had  another  son,  and  the  sisters 

-^ 


io6 

exposed  him  also  in  a  basket,  and  set  him  afloat  in  the  canal, 
saying  that  it  was  a  cat.  It  was  happy  also  for  this  child  that 
the  superintendent  of  the  gardens  was  walking  by  the  canal,  for 
he  had  the  infant  carried  to  his  wife,  and  ordered  her  to  take  as 
much  care  of  it  as  of  the  former,  which  she  was  very  happy  to 
do.  Next  year  the  queen  gave  birth  to  a  princess,  and  she  met 
with  the  same  fate  as  her  brothers.  The  two  wicked  sisters  put  the 
princess  also  in  a  basket  on  the  canal,  and  they  said  it  was  a  log 
of  wood  and  not  a  baby.  Again  the  superintendent  saw  the 
basket,  found  the  child,  anoVfook  it  to  his  wife,  who  received  it 
with  pleasure.  I  But  now  the  sultan  Khoonooshah  was  so  angry 
that  he  ordered  the  queen  to  be  seized  and  put  in  prison.  The 
queen,  however,  was  very  patient.  She  made  no  complaint,  and 
all  the  people  had  great  pity  and  admiration  for  hex? 

The  two  princes  and  the  princess  were,  in  the  mean  time, 
nursed  and  brought  up  by  the  superintendent  of  the  gardens  and 
his  wife,  with  all  the  tenderness  of  a  father  and  mother.  The 
name  of  the  eldest  prince  was.Bahman,  the  second  was  called 
.  Perviz, —  both  of  them  names  of  ancient  emperors  of  Persia, — 
and  the  princess  was  called  Pgriezadeh,  which  name  had  been 
borne  by  several  queens  and  princesses  of  the  kingdom.  As  soon 
as  they  were  old  enough,  the  superintendent  got  the  best  teachers 
to  instruct  them,  and  they  learned  everything  that  it  was  proper 
for  them  to  know.  They  learned  to  sing  and  to  play  upon  several 
sorts  of  musical  instruments.  They  were  very  clever,  and  by 
their  great  dignity  of  manner  showed  that  they  were  of  high  birth. 
When  the  princes  were  learning  to  ride,  the  princess  would  not 
let  them  have  that  advantage  over  her,  but  went  through  all  the 
exercises  with  them.  She  also  learned  to  use  the  bow  and  arrows 
and  other  weapons,  and  in  hunting,  racing,  and  other  contests 
she  often  outdid  her  brothers. 

The  superintendent  of  the  gardens  was  overjoyed  to  find  his 
adopted  children  so  well  worthy  of  all  he  did  for  them,  and  he 
resolved  to  do  still  more.  Till  then  he  had  been  content  with 
his  lodge  at  the  entrance  to  the  sultan's  garden,  but  now  he  pur- 


chased  a  fine  house  in  the  country,  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
city.  It  was  magnificently  furnished,  for  the  superintendent  was 
a  rich  man.  It  was  surrounded  by  meadows  and  woods  and 
beautiful  gardens,  and  near  it  was  a  large  park,  stocked  with 
deer,  so  that  the  princes  could  go  a-hunting  when  they  pleased. 

When  this  house  was  finished  the  superintendent  resigned  his 
office  under  the  sultan,  and  went  to  the  new  place  to  live  with 
his  adopted  children.  His  wife  had  been  dead  for  some  years, 
and  he  himself  was  not  more  than  six  months  in  his  country 
house  when  he  took  ill  and  died.  His  death  was  so  sudden  that 
he  had  not  time  to  tell  the  young  princes  and  the  princess  the 
story  of  how  he  had  saved  them  in  their  infancy;  so  they  believed 
that  the  superintendent  was  their  father,  and  they  very  much 
lamented  his  death.  They  gave  him  a  magnificent  funeral,  and 
afterwards  they  lived  in  great  happiness  together  in  the  fine  house 
which  he  left  them,  with  a  large  fortune  to  supply  all  their  wants. 

One  day  when  the  two  princes  were  hunting,  and  the  princess 
had  remained  at  home,  an  old  woman  came  to  the  gate,  and 
asked  leave  to  go  in  to  say  her  prayers,  it  being  then  the  hour 
for  prayer.  The  servants  asked  the  princess's  permission,  and 
she  ordered  them  to  show  her  into  the  oratory.  After  the  good 
woman  had  finished  her  prayers,  she  was  brought  before  the 
princess,  in  the-  great  hall,  which  in  beauty  and  richness  exceeded 
all  the  other  apartments.  They  talked  about  many  things  and  at 
last  the  princess  asked  the  old  woman  what  she  thought  of  the 
house  and  how  she  liked  it.  AX*' 

"  Madam,"  answered  the  woman,  "  if  you  will  give  me  leave 
to  speak  my  mind  freely,  I  will  take  the  liberty  to  tell  you  that 
this  house  would  be  perfect  if  it  had  three  things  which  are  wanting 
to  complete  it.  The  first  of  these  three  things  is  the  speaking 
bird,  a  creature  that  draws  round  it  all  the  singing  birds  of  the 
neighborhood,  which  come  to  accompany  its  song.  The  second 
is  the  _singing__tree,  the  leaves  of  which  are  all  mouths,  that 
form  a.'  concert  of  different  voices,  and  never  cease.  The 
third  is.  thejvvater  of  golden  yellow  hue,  a  single  drop  of  which 


io8 

when  poured  into  a  vessel  properly  prepared,  increases  so  as  tc 
r    fill  it  immediately,  and  rises  up  in  the  middle  like  a  fountain, 
which  continually  plays,  and  yet  the  vessel  never  overflows. ' ' 

"My good  mother,"  cried  the  princess,  "I  am  much  obliged  to 
you  for  telling  me  of  these  curiosities.  They  are  surprising.  I 
never  before  heard  there  were  such  wonderful  things  in  the 
world,  and  as  I  am  sure  that  you  know,  I  expect  you  will  do  me 

the  favor  to  inform  me  where  they  are  to  be  found. ' ' 

* 

"  Madam,"  replied  the  woman,  "  I  am  glad  to  tell  you  that 
these  curiosities  are  all  in  the  same  spot  on  the  borders  of  this 
kingdom,  towards  India.  The  road  lies  before  your  house,  and 
the  person  you  send  has  only  to  follow  it  for  twenty  days.  On 
the  twentieth  day  let  him  ask  the  first  person  he  meets  where  the 
speaking  bird,  the  singing  tree,  and  the  yellow  water  are,  and  he 
will  be  informed."  After  saying  this  the  old  woman  rose  from 
her  seat,  took  her  leave,  and  went  away. 

The  Princess  Periezadeh's  thoughts  were  so  taken  up  with  the 
desire  to  obtain  these  three  wonders,  that  her  brothers,  on  their 
return  from  hunting,  instead  of  finding  her  lively  and  gay,  as  she 
used  to  be,  were  surprised  to  see  her  melancholy  and  troubled. 
"  Sister,"  said  Prince  Bahman,  "  what  has  become  of  all  your 
mirth  and  gaiety  ?  Are  you  unwell,  or  has  some  misfortune  hap- 
pened to  you  ?  Tell  us,  that  we  may  give  you  relief. ' ' 

The  princess  at  first  returned  no  answer  to  these  inquiries, 
but  being  pressed  by  her  brothers  she  replied,  "  I  always  be- 
lieved that  this  house,  which  our  father  built  for  us,  was  so  com- 
plete that  nothing  was  wanting.  But  to-day  I  have  learned  that 
it  wants  three  rarities, —  the  speaking  bird,  the  singing  tree,  and 
the  yellow  water.  If  it  had  these,  no  country  house  in  the  world 
could  be  compared  with  it. ' '  Then  she  told  her  brothers  what  the 
old  woman  said,  and  she  begged  them  to  send  some  trustworthy 
person  in  search  of  the  three  curiosities.  "  Sister,"  replied 
Prince  Bahman,  "it  is  enough  that  you  have  a  desire  for  the 
things  you  mention.  You  shall  have  them.  I  will  take  that 
charge  upon  myself.  Only  tell  me  the  place,  and  the  way  to  it, 


109 

and  I  will  set  out  to-morrow.  You,  brother,  shall  stay  at  home 
with  our  sister  until  I  return. ' ' 

Prince  Bahman  spent  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  making  pre- 
parations for  his  journey,  and  learning  from  the  princess  of  the 
directions  which  the  woman  had  left  her.  The  next  morning 
he  mounted  his  horse,  and  Perviz  and  the  princess  embraced  him 
and  wished  him  a  good  journey.  But  just  before  starting,~Prince 
Bahman  said  to  the  princess,  ' '  Sister,  as  I  may  fail  in  my  under- 
taking, and  as  some  accident  may  happen  to  me,  I  leave  you  this 
knife.  It  is  a  very  wonderful  knife,  and  by  it  you  may  know 
whether  I  am  dead  or  alive.  If  it  be  clean  and  bright,  as  it  is 
now,  whenever  you  pull  it  out  of  its  sheath,  that  will  be  a  sign  that 
I  am  alive,  but  if  it  be  stained  with  blood,  you  may  be  sure  that 
I  am  dead. ' '  He  then  bade  farewell  to  his  brother  and  sister 
and  rode  away. 

When  he  got  into  the  road,  Prince  Bahman  never  turned  to  the 
right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  but  went  directly  forward  towards  India. 
On  the  twentieth  day  he  saw  a  very  strange  looking  old  man  sitting 
under  a  tree  some  distance  from  a  thatched  house.  His  eye- 
brows were  as  white  as  snow,  and  his  beard  was  so  long  as  to 
cover  his  mouth  and  reach  down  to  the  ground.  The  nails  of 
his  hands  and  feet  were  very  long,  a  flat,  broad  umbrella  covered 
his  head,  and  he  wore  no  clothes  but  a  mat  thrown  around  his 
body.  This  old  man  was  a  dervise,  who  had  retired  from  the 
world  to  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  in  prayer. 

Prince  Bahman  had  been  all  the  morning  expecting  to  meet 
some  one  who  could  give  him  information  of  the  place  he  was  in 
search  of;  so  he  stopped  when  he  came  near  the  dervise,  and, 
dismounting  from  his  horse,  walked  up  to  him  and  said,  "  Good 
dervise,  I  am  in  search  of  the  speaking  bird,  the  singing  tree,  and 
the  yellow  water.  I  know  they  are  not  far  from  here,  but  can- 
not tell  exactly  the  place  where  they  are  to  be  found.  If  you 
know,  I  beg  you  to  show  me  the  way,  that  I  may  not  lose  my 
labor  after  so  long  a  journey."  The  prince,  while  he  spoke, 
noticed  that  the  dervise  changed  color,  held  down  his  eyes, 


HO 

looked  very  serious,  and,  instead  of  making  any  reply,  remained 
silent.  This  compelled  the  prince  to  speak  again,  and  so  he 
said,  "  Good  father,  tell  me  whether  you  know  what  I  ask  you, 
that  I  may  not  lose  time  but  ask  some  one  else. ' '  At  last  the 
dervise  broke  silence.  "  Sir,"  said  he  to  Prince  Bahman,  "  I 
know  the  way  you  inquire  about,  but  the  danger  of  going  is 
greater  than  you  think.  A  number  of  gentlemen  brave  as  your- 
self have  passed  this  way,  and  asked  me  the  same  question.  I 
assure  you  they  have  all  lost  their  lives,  for  I  have  not  seen  one 
come  back.  Therefore,  take  my  advice,  go  no  farther,  but  return 
home."  "  Nothing,"  replied  Prince  Bahman,  "  shall  make  me 
change  my  intention.  Whoever  may  attack  me,  I  am  not  afraid, 
and  I  am  well  armed."  "  But  they  who  will  attack  you  are  not 
to  be  seen,"  said  the  dervise,  "  how  will  you  defend  yourself 
against  invisible  enemies  ?  "  "  It  is  no  matter,"  answered  the 
prince,  "  all  you  can  say  shall  not  prevent  me  from  going,  and 
as  you  know  the  way,  I  once  more  beg  you  to  tell  me." 

When  the  dervise  found  he  could  not  get  Prince  Bahman  to  give 
up  his  journey,  he  put  his  hand  into  a  bag  that  lay  by  him, 
pulled  out  a  bowl,  and  gave  it  to  the  prince.     "  Since  you  will   ; 
not  be  led  by  my  advice,"  said  he,  "  take  this  bowl,  and  when 
you  mount  your  horse,  throw  it  before  you.     It  will  go  on  of  ' 
itself  until  it  comes  to  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  where  it  will  stop. 
You  must  follow  it,  and  when  it  stops,  dismount  and  go  up  the 
mountain.     Leave  your  horse  with  the  bridle  over  his  neck,  and 
he  will  wait  till  you  return.     As  you  go  up  the  mountain  you  will 
see  on  your  right  and  left  a  great  number  of  large  black  stones, 
and  you  will  hear  on  all  sides  voices  threatening  you  and  trying 
to  prevent  you  from  reaching  the  top  of  the  mountain.     But  do 
not  turn  your  head  to  look  behind  you,  for  if  you  do  you  will  be    ,' 
changed  that  moment  into  a  black  stone  like  those  you  will  see,    < 
which  are  all  youths  who  have  failed  in  this  enterprise.     If  you  ( 
escape  this  danger  and  get  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  you  will 
see  a  cage,  and  in  that  cage  is  the  bird  you  seek.     Ask  the  bird 
where  the  singing  tree  and  the  yellow  water  are,  and  he  will  tell 


Ill 

you.  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,  except  to  beg  you  again  not 
to  expose  your  life,  for  the  danger  is  very  great. ' ' 

After  these  words,  the  prince  mounted  his  horse,  took  his*leave 
of  the  dervise  with  a  respectful  salute,  and  threw  the  bowl  before 
him.  The  bowl  rolled  away,  and  rolled  so  fast  that  Prince 
Bahman  was  obliged  to  put  his  horse  to  a  gallop  to  avoid  losing 
sight  of  it.  When  it  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountain  it  stopped. 
The  prince  then  alighted  from  his  horse,  laid  the  bridle  on  his 
neck,  and  having  first  gazed  for  a  moment  or  two  at  the  moun- 
tain, and  seen  the  black  stones,  he  began  to  ascend.  He  had 
not  gone  four  steps  when  he  heard  the  voices,  though  he  could 
see  nobody.  Some  said,  ' '  Where  is  he  going  ?  "  "  What  would 
he  have  ?  "  "  Do  not  let  him  pass;  "  others  said,  "  Stop 
him  !  "  "  Catch  him  !  ' '  and  others  with  a  voice  like  thunder, 
shouted,  "  Thief  !  "  "  Assassin  !  "  "  Murderer  !  "  while 
some  in  a  mocking  tone  cried,  "  No,  no,  do  not  hurt  him,  let  the 
pretty  fellow  pass;  the  cage  and  bird  are  kept  for  him." 

In  spite  of  all  these  voices  Prince  Bahman  went  on  with  courage 
for  some  time,  but  the  voices  soon  made  so  loud  a  din  near  him 
—  behind,  before,  and  on  all  sides, —  that  he  became  terrified. 
His  legs  trembled  under  him,  he  staggered,  and  finding  that  his 
strength  failed  him,  he  forgot  the  dervise's  advice,  and  turned 
about  to  run  down  the  hill.  That  instant  he  was  changed  into 
a  black  stone.  His  horse  was  also  changed  into  a  black  stone  at 
the  same  moment. 

From  the  time  of  Prince  Bahman' s  departure,  the  Princess 
Periezadeh  always  wore  the  knife  and  sheath  in  her  girdle,  and 
pulled  it  out  several  times  a  day,  to  know  whether  her  brother 
was  yet  alive.  On  the  day  the  prince  was  changed  into  a  stone, 
the  princess  and  her  brother  Perviz  were  talking  together  in  the 
evening,  as  usual,  and  Perviz  asked  his  sister  to  pull  out  the  knife 
to  know  how  their  brother  was.  The  princess  did  so,  and  seeing 
blood  run  down  the  point  she  threw  the  knife  upon  the  floor, 
crying  out,  ' '  Ah  !  my  dear  brother,  wretched  am  I  !  I  have  been 
the  cause  of  your  death,  and  shall  never  see  you  more  !  Why 


112 

did  I  tell  you  of  the  speaking  bird,  the  singing  tree,  and  yellow 
water  !  Why  did  I  allow  my  peace  to  be  disturbed  by  the  idle 
tales  of  a  silly  old  woman  !  " 

Prince  Perviz  was  as  much  grieved  at  the  death  of  Prince  Bah- 
man  as  the  princess,  but  as  he  knew  that  she  still  desired  to  get 
the  speaking  bird,  the  singing  tree,  and  the  golden  water,  he  in- 
terrupted her,  saying,  "  Sister,  our  regret  for  our  brother  is  use- 
less; our  grief  and  tears  cannot  bring  him  back  to  life;  it  is  the 
will  of  God;  we  must  submit  to  it.  But  why  should  you  now 
doubt  what  the  holy  woman  told  you  ?  Our  brother's  death  is 
probably  owing  to  some  mistake  on  his  part.  I  am  resolved  to 
know  the  truth,  and  to-morrow  I  shall  set  out." 

The  princess  did  all  she  could  to  prevent  Prince  Perviz  from 
going.     She  begged  him  not  to  expose  her  to  the  danger  of 
losing  two  brothers,  but  all  she  could  say  had  no  effect  upon  him. 
Before  he  went,  he_left_her_a^tring  Qljjjiiindred  pearls,  telling  / 
her  that  if  they  would  not  run  when  she  should  count  them  upon  / 
the  string,  but  remain  fixed,  that  would  be  a  certain  sign  that  he/ 
had  met  the  same  fate  as  his  brother.     At  the  same  time  he  tol<^ 
her  he  hoped  it  would  not  be  so,  but  that  he  should  have  the 
happiness  to  see  her  again.     He  then  set  out. 

On  the  twentieth  day  after  his  departure,  he  met  the  same  der- 
vise  in  the  same  place  as  his  brother  Bahman  had  before  him,  and 
asked  him  the  same  question.  The  dervise  gave  him  the  same 
answer  and  the  same  advice  as  he  had  to  Prince  Bahman.  He 
also  told  him  that  a  young  gentleman,  very  like  him,  was  there  a 
short  time  before,  and  had  not  yet  returned.  "  Good  dervise," 
answered  Prince  Perviz,  "  I  know  of  whom  you  speak;  he  was  my 
elder  brother,  and  I  am  informed  of  his  death,  but  know  not  the 
cause."  "  I  can  tell  you,"  replied  the  dervise,  "  he  was 
changed  into  a  black  stone,  as  all  the  others  have  been,  and  you 
must  expect  the  same  fate,  unless  you  follow  the  directions  I 
gave  him,  but  I  once  more  entreat  you  to  give  up  your  resolu- 
tion."  "  Dervise,"  said  Prince  Perviz,  "  I  am  obliged  to  you 
for  your  kind  caution,  but  I  cannot  now  give  up  this  enterprise; 


therefore  I  beg  you  to  do  me  the  same  favor  you  have  done  my 
brother. ' '  The  dervise  then  gave  the  prince  a  bowl,  with  the 
same  instructions  he  had  given  to  his  brother,  and  so  let  him 
depart. 

Prince  Perviz  mounted,  threw  the  bowl  before  his  horse,  and 
followed  it.  When  the  bowl  came  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  it 
stopped.  Then  the  prince  alighted  and  began  to  walk  up  with  a 
determination  to  reach  the  top.  But  before  he  had  gone  six 
steps,  he  heard  a  voice,  as  of  a  man  behind  him,  say  in  a  rough 
tone,  "  Stay,  rash  youth,  that  I  may  punish  you  for  your  pre- 
sumption." 

Taking  this  as  an  insult  the  prince,  forgetting  the  dervise 's  ad- 
vice, clapped  his  hand  upon  his  sword,  and  turned  about  to  face 
the  enemy,  as  he  thought.  The  moment  he  turned  he  and  his 
horse  were  changed  into  black  stones. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Princess  Periezadeh,  several  times  a  day 
after  her  brother's  departure,  counted  her  string  of  pearls.  She 
did  not  omit  it  at  night,  but  put  it  about  her  neck  when  she  went 
to  bed,  and  in  the  morning,  when  she  awoke,  she  counted  over 
the  pearls  again  to  see  if  they  would  slide.  The  day  that  Prince 
Perviz  was  changed  into  a  stone  she  was  counting  over  the 
pearls  as  she  used  to  do,  when  all  at  once  they  became  fixed  and 
would  not  move.  This  was  a  certain  sign  that  her  brother  was 
dead.  As  she  had  decided  what  to  do  in  case  it  should  so  hap- 
pen, she  lost  no  time  in  giving  way  to  grief,  but  proceeded  at 
once  to  carry  out  her  plan.  She  dressed  herself  in  a  suit  of  her 
brother's  clothes,  and  procuring  arms  she  mounted  her  horse,  and, 
telling  her  servants  that  she  should  return  in  two  or  three  days, 
took  the  same  road  her  brothers  had  taken. 

On  the  twentieth  day  she  also  met  the  dervise,  and  asked  him 
the  same  question,  and  she  received  from  him  the  same  answer 
and  the  same  advice  her  brothers  had  received.  (  Like  them,  also, 
she  resolved  to  make  the  attempt  to  go  up  the  mountain.  But 
before  starting  she  procured  some  cotton  which  she  thought  would 
be  of  use  to  her.J  Then  she  mounted  her  horse,  threw  down  the 

ARABIAN   NIGHTS  —  8 


114 

bowl  which  the  dervise  had  given  her,  and  followed  it  till  it 
'  stopped  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  princess  immediately 
alighted,  and  stuffing  her  ears  with  the  cotton  she  began  to  ascend. 
She  heard  the  voices,  but  on  account  of  the  cotton  in  her  ears 
the  noise  did  not  disturb  her  very  much.  She  also  heard  insult- 
ing words,  but  she  only  laughed  at  them.  On  she  went  till  at 
last  she  caught  sight  of  a  cage  with  a  bird  in  it.  Encouraged  by 
seeing  the  object  she  was  in  search  of,  the  princess  redoubled  her 
speed,  and  soon  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  where  the 
ground  was  level.  Then  running  directly  to  the  cage,  and  clap- 
ping her  hand  upon  it,  she  cried,  "  Bird,  I  have  you,  and  you 
shall  not  escape  me."  At  the  same  moment  the  voices  ceased. 

While  Periezadeh  was  pulling  the  cotton  out  of  her  ears,  the 
bird  said  to  her,  "  Heroic  princess,  since  I  am  to  be  a  slave,  I 
would  rather  be  yours  than  any  other  person's,  you  have  obtained 
me  so  courageously.  From  this  instant  I  shall  pay  entire  obedi- 
ence to  all  your  commands.  I  know  who  you  are,  for  you  are 
not  what  you  seem,  and  I  will  one  day  tell  you  more.  In  the 
mean  time,  command  what  you  wish,  and  I  am  ready  to  obey 
you. ' ' 

' '  Bird, ' '  said  Periezadeh,  ' '  I  have  been  told  that  not  far  off 
there  is  golden  water,  which  is  very  wonderful.  I  ask  you  to 
tell  me  where  it  is. ' '  The  bird  showed  her  the  place,  which  was 
just  by,  and  she  went  and  filled  a  little  silver  flask  which  she  had 
brought  with  her.  She  then  returned  to  the  bird,  and  said, 
"  Bird,  this  is  not  enough;  I  want  also  the  singing  tree.  Tell 
me  where  it  is."  "  Turn  about,"  said  the  bird,  "  and  you  will 
see  behind  you  a  wood,  where  you  will  find  this  tree.  Break  off 
a  branch,  and  carry  it  home  to  plant  in  your  garden.  It  will 
take  root  as  soon  as  it  is  put  into  the  earth,  and  in  a  little  time 
will  grow  to  a  fine  tree."  The  princess  went  into  the  wood, 
and  by  the  music  she  heard,  soon  discovered  the  singing  tree. 
She  broke  off  a  branch,  and,  taking  it  with  her,  returned  again  to 
the  bird,  and  said,  "  Bird,  what  you  have  done  for  me  is  not 
sufficient.  My  two  brothers  in  their  search  for  you  have  been 


Drawn  by  R.  B.  Birch. 

THE  PRINCESS  SPRINKLES  THE  STONES.     , 


u6 

changed  into  black  stones  on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  Tell 
me  how  I  may  disenchant  them. ' ' 

The  bird  seemed  most  unwilling  to  tell  the  princess  this,  but 
at  last  he  bade  her  sprinkle  every  stone  on  her  way  down  the 
mountain  with  a  little  of  the  golden  water.  She  did  so,  and 
every  stone  thus  sprinkled  at  once  took  the  shape  of  a  man  or  of 
a  horse.  In  the  crowd  of  young  princes  that  immediately  ap- 
peared, the  princess  saw  her  two  brothers,  Bahman  and  Perviz. 
She  ran  to  them  and  embraced  them  with  joy,  and  she  told  them 
and  the  other  princes  everything  she  had  done.  Then  they  all 
mounted  their  horses  and  rode  back  to  the  place  where  they  had 
seen  the  dervise.  But  they  found  that  he  was  dead,  whether  of 
old  age,  or  because  he  was  no  longer  required  to  show  the  way  to 
the  three  rarities,  they  did  not  know.  The  princes,  headed  by 
Periezadeh,  then  continued  their  journey.  Every  day  the  num- 
ber of  the  company  lessened,  for  the  youths,  who  had  come 
from  different  countries,  took  leave  of  the  princess  and  her 
brothers,  one  after  another,  as  they  approached  the  roads  by 
which  they  had  come. 

When  the  princess  reached  home,  she  placed  the  cage  in  the 
garden,  and  as  soon  as  the  bird  began  to  sing  he  was  surrounded 
by  nightingales,  chaffinches,  larks,  linnets,  goldfinches,  and  every 
species  of  bird  of  the  country.  She  also  planted  the  branch  of 
the  singing  tree,  and  it  took  root,  and  in  a  short  time  became  a 
large  tree,  the  leaves  of  which  gave  forth  music  as  sweet  as  that 
of  the  tree  on  the  mountain.  A  large  basin  of  beautiful  marble 
was  made  in  the  garden,  and  the  princess  poured  into  it  the  yel- 
low water  from  the  flask.  It  instantly  increased  and  swelled  so 
that  it  reached  up  to  the  edges  of  the  basin,  and  afterwards 
formed  in  the  middle  a  fountain  twenty  feet  high,  which  fell 
again  into  the  basin  and  continued  so  without  running  over.  The 
report  of  these  wonders  was  quickly  spread  abroad,  and  as  the 
gates  of  the  house  and  of  the  garden  were  open  to  everybody,  a 
great  number  of  people  came  to  see  them. 

Some  days  after  their  return  home,  the  Princes  Bahman  and 


Perviz  thought  they  would  go  hunting,  which  was  their  favorite 
amusement.  So  they  mounted  their  horses  and  went  several 
miles  from  their  house,  where  many  other  horsemen  were  en- 
k^/"  gaged  in  the  sport.  Now  it  happened  that  the  Sultan  Khoo- 
nooshah  was  hunting  on  the  same  day  in  the  same  place.  He 
soon  noticed  the  two  princes,  and  admiring  their  appearance  and 
manner,  he  rode  up  to  them  and  asked  them  who  they  were  and 
where  they  lived.  Prince  Bahman  answered,  after  bowing  down 
to  the  sultan,  "  Sire,  we  are  the  sons  of  the  late  superintendent 
of  your  Majesty's  gardens.  We  live  in  a  house  which  he  built  a 
little  before  he  died."  iT'see, "  said  the  sultan,  "  you  love- 
hunting."  "  Sire,"  replied  Prince  Bahman,  "  it  is  our  common 
exercise,  and  what  none  of  your  Majesty's  subjects  who  intend 
to  bear  arms  in  your  armies  ought  to  neglect."  The  sultan, 
much  pleased  with  this  answer,  said,  "  It  is  so,  and  I  should  be 
glad  to  see  a  trial  of  your  expertness  in  the  chase;  choose  your 
own  game. "  The  princes  then  followed  the  sultan,  and  they  had 
not  gone  far  before  they  saw  many  wild  beasts  together.  Prince 
Bahman  chose  a  lion,  and  Prince  Perviz  a  bear.  Then,  starting 
off  in  pursuit,  they  hunted  the  beasts  with  so  much  courage  that 
the  sultan  was  surprised.  They  both  came  up  with  their  game 
nearly  at  the  same  time,  and  darted  their  spears  with  so  much  skill 
that  they  pierced,  the  one  the  lion,  and  the  other  the  bear,  so 
that  the  sultan  saw  the  animals  fall  one  after  the  other.  Imme- 
diately afterwards  Prince  Bahman  pursued  another  bear,  and 
Prince  Perviz  another  lion,  and  killed  them  in  a  short  time.  The 
sultan  was  now  so  pleased  with  the  conduct  of  the  two  princes 
that  he  invited  them  to  visit  him  at  his  palace.  To  this  invita- 
tion Prince  Bahman  replied,  "  Your  Majesty  does  us  an  honor 
we  do  not  deserve.  But  we  have  a  sister  younger  than  ourselves, 
with  whom  we  live  in  such  perfect  union  that  we  undertake 
nothing  without  consulting  her,  and  she  does  nothing  without 
asking  our  advice."  "I  admire  your  brotherly  affection,"  an- 
swered the  sultan.  "Consult  your  sister.  Meet  me  here  to-mor- 
row, and  give  me  an  answer." 


118 

The  princess  was  surprised  when  her  brothers,  on  their  return, 
told  her  of  their  meeting  with  the  sultan,  and  of  his  invitation. 
She  proposed  that  they  should  immediately  ask  the  advice  of  the 
speaking  bird,  which  was  a  very  wise  bird,  and  had  promised  to 
assist  them  in  all  their  difficulties.  She  then  sent  for  the  cage, 
and,  telling  the  bird  about  the  sultan's  invitation,  she  asked  what 
they  ought  to  do.  ' '  Princess, ' '  answered  the  bird,  ' '  your  brothers 
must  do  according  to  the  sultan's  wishes,  and  then  let  them  in- 
vite him  to  come  and  visit  them  and  you  at  your  own  house." 

Next  day  the  princes  met  the  sultan  as  he  had  requested,  and 
they  accompanied  him  to  his  palace.  On  the  way  he  made 
Bahman  and  Perviz  ride  one  on  each  side  of  him,  and  treated 
them  with  great  respect  and  honor.  As  they  entered  the  city 
the  people,  who  stood  in  crowds  in  the  streets,  gazed  at  the  two 
princes,  admiring  them  and  wondering  who  they  were.  The 
sultan  gave  them  a  grand  banquet,  and  when  it  was  over,  and  the 
time  came  for  them  to  leave,  Prince  Bahman,  addressing  Khoo- 
nooshah,  said,  "Sire,  may  we  presume  to  request  that  you  will 
do  us  and  our  sister  the  honor  to  visit  us  the  first  time  you  are 
hunting  in  that  neighborhood  ?  Our  house  is  not  worthy  your 
presence,  but  kings  have  sometimes  condescended  to  take  shelter 
in  a  cottage. "  "  My  children, ' '  replied  the  sultan,  ' '  your  house 
cannot  be  otherwise  than  beautiful,  and  worthy  of  its  owners.  I 
will  call  and  visit  you  with  pleasure.  Early  in  the  morning  I  will 
be  at  the  place  where  I  first  saw  you.  Meet  me,  and  you  shall 
be  my  guides. ' ' 

When  the  Princes  Bahman  and  Perviz  returned  home,  they 
gave  the  princess  an  account  of  their  reception  at  the  sultan's 
palace,  and  told  her  that  he  would  call  at  their  house  the 
next  day.  "Then,"  said  the  princess,  "  we  must  prepare  a 
banquet  fit  for  his  Majesty,  and  for  that  purpose  I  think  we 
should  consult  the  speaking  bird.  He  will  tell  us  perhaps  what 
meats  the  sultan  likes  best. ' '  The  princes  approved  of  her  plan, 
and  after  they  had  retired,  she  consulted  the  bird  alone. 
"  Bird,"  said  she,  "  the  sultan  will  come  to-morrow  and  see  our 


119 

house.  Tell  me  what  we  must  do  to  receive  and  entertain  him 
in  a  fitting  manner. ' ' 

"  Good  mistress,"  replied  the  bird,  "  you  have  excellent 
cooks;  let  them  do  the  best  they  can.  But  above  all  things,  let 
them  prepare  a  dish  of  cucumbers  stuffed  full  of  pearls,  which 
must  be  set  before  the  sultarrftrsT  of  all  the  dishes."  "Cucum- 
bers stuffed  full  of  pearls!"  cried  Princess  Periezadeh  with 
amazement,  "  surely,  bird,  you  do  not  know  what  you  say.  It 
is  an  unheard-of  dish;  besides,  all  the  pearls  I  have  are  not 
enough  for  such  a  dish. "  "  Mistress,"  said  the  bird,  "  do  what 
I  say;  and  as  for  the  pearls,  go  early  to-morrow  morning  to  the 
foot  of  the  first  tree  on  your  right  hand  in  the  park,  dig  under 
it,  and  you  will  find  more  than  you  want." 

The  princess  immediately  ordered  a  gardener  to  be  ready  to 
attend  her  in  the  morning,  and  at  daybreak  she  led  him  to  the 
tree  of  which  the  bird  told  her,  and  bade  him  dig  at  its  foot. 
The  gardener  did  so,  and  when  he  came  to  a  certain  depth,  he 
found  a  gold  box  about  a  foot  square,  which  he  gave  into  the 
princess's  hands.  As  it  was  fastened  only  with  neat  little  hasps, 
she  easily  opened  it,  and  found  it  full  of  pearls.  Very  well  satis- 
fied she  shut  the  box,  put  it  under  her  arm,  and  went  back  to  the 
house,  while  the  gardener  threw  the  earth  into  the  hole  at 
the  foot  of  the  tree  as  it  had  been  before.  As  she  returned  to 
the  house  she  met  her  two  brothers,  and  told  them  of  having  con- 
sulted the  bird,  of  the  answer  he  had  given  her  to  prepare  a  dish 
of  cucumbers  stuffed  full  of  pearls,  and  how  he  had  directed  her 
where  to  find  the  box.  Though  they  could  not  guess  the  reason 
of  the  bird  ordering  them  to  prepare  such  a  dish,  yet  they 
agreed  to  follow  his  advice  exactly. 

As  soon  as  the  princess  entered  the  house,  she  called  for  the 
head  cook,  and,  after  giving  him  directions  about  the  dinner  for 
the  sultan,  said  to  him,  "  Besides  all  this,  you  must  dress  an  ex- 
traordinary dish  to  set  before  the  sultan  himself.  This  dish 
must  be  of  cucumbers  stuffed  with  these  pearls, ' '  and  she  opened 
the  box  and  showed  him  the  pearls.  The  cook,  who  had  never 


I2O 

heard  of  such  a  dish,  started  back,  and  could  make  no  reply, 
but  took  the  box  and  prepared  to  do  as  his  mistress  had  ordered. 

Next  day  the  two  princes  went  to  the  place  appointed.  As 
soon  as  the  sultan  of  Persia  arrived,  the  hunt  began,  and  it  lasted 
till  the  heat  of  the  sun  obliged  him  to  leave  off.  While  Prince 
Bahman  staid  to  conduct  the  sultan  to  their  house,  Prince  Per- 
viz  rode  before  to  inform  the  Princess  Periezadeh  that  his  Majesty 
was  approaching.  When  the  sultan  entered  the  courtyard,  and 
alighted  at  the  portico,  the  princess  came  and  threw  herself  at 
his  feet.  The  sultan  stooped  to  raise  her,  and  after  he  had  gazed 
some  time  on  her  beauty,  he  said,  "  The  brothers  are  worthy 
of  the  sister,  and  she  is  worthy  of  them.  I  am  not  surprised 
that  the  brothers  would  do  nothing  without  their  sister's  consent. ' ' 

The  princess  then  led  the  sultan  through  all  the  rooms  of  the 
house  except  the  hall,  and  after  he  had  seen  them,  he  expressed 
his  wonder  and  delight,  saying,  "  My  daughter,  do  you  call  this  a 
country  house  ?  The  finest  and  largest  cities  would  soon  be 
deserted  if  all  country  houses  were  like  yours.  I  am  no  longer 
surprised  that  you  take  so  much  delight  in  it,  and  despise  the 
town.  Now  let  me  see  the  garden,  which  I  am  sure  is  answer- 
able to  the  house."  The  princess  opened  a  door  which  led  into 
the  garden,  and  conducted  him.  to  the  spot  where  the  singing 
tree  was.  There  the  sultan  heard  music  different  from  all  he 
had  ever  heard  before.  Stopping  to  find  where  the  musicians 
were,  he  could  see  nobody  far  or  near,  but  still  distinctly  heard  the 
music,  which  delighted  him  beyond  measure.  "  My  daughter," 
said  he  to  the  princess,  "  where  are  the  musicians  ?  Are  they 
underground  or  invisible  in  the  air  ?  Such  excellent  performers 
will  lose  nothing  by  being  seen;  on  the  contrary,  they  would 
please  the  more. ' ' 

"  Sire,"  answered  the  princess,  smiling,  "  they  are  not 
musicians,  which  make  this  music,  but  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
your  Majesty  sees  before  you.  If  you  will  give  yourself  the 
trouble  to  go  a  little  nearer  you  will  be  convinced,  for  the  voices 
will  be  the  more  distinct. ' '  The  sultan  went  nearer,  and  was  so 


121 

charmed  with  the  sweet  sounds  that  he  could  never  have  been 
tired  hearing  them.  "  Daughter,"  said  he,  "  tell  me,  I  pray 
you,  whether  this  wonderful  tree  was  found  in  your  garden  by 
chance,  or  was  a  present  made  to  you,  or  have  you  procured  it 
from  some  foreign  country  ?  It  must  certainly  have  come  from 
a  great  distance,  otherwise  I  should  have  heard  of  it.  What 
name  do  you  call  it  by  ?  "  "  Sire,"  replied  the  princess,  "  this 
tree  has  no  other  name  than  that  of  the  singing  tree,  and' is  not 
a  native  of  this  country.  Its  history  is  connected  with  the  yel- 
low water  and  the  speaking  bird,  which  your  Majesty  will  see 
presently,  and,  if  it  please  you,  I  will  relate  to  you  the  story  of 
these  rarities." 

When  the  sultan  came  to  the  yellow  water,  his  eyes  were  fixed 
so  steadfastly  upon  the  fountain  that  he  could  not  take  them  off 
for  a  long  time.  Then  they  went  towards  the  hall,  and  the  sultan 
heard  a  great  number  of  singing  birds  in  the  trees  around,  filling 
the  air  with  their  songs  and  warblings.  He  asked  why  there 
were  so  many  there,  and  none  on  the  other  trees  in  the  garden. 

"  The  reason,  sire,"  answered  the  princess,  "  is  that  they 
come  from  all  parts  to  accompany  the  song  of  the  speaking  bird, 
which  your  Majesty  may  see  in  a  cage  in  one  of  the  windows  of 
the  hall  we  are  approaching.  If  you  attend,  you  will  perceive 
that  his  notes  are  sweeter  than  those  of  any  of  the  other  birds, 
even  the  nightingale's." 

The  sultan  went  into  the  hall,  and  as  the  bird  continued  sing- 
ing, the  princess  raised  her  voice,  and  said,  "  My  slave,  here  is 
the  sultan;  pay  your  compliments  to  him."  The  bird  left  off 
singing  that  instant.  At  the  same  moment  all  the  other  birds 
ceased.  Then  the  speaking  bird  said,  "  God  save  the  sultan. 
Long  may  he  live!  "  The  banquet  was  served  near  the  window 
where  the  bird  was  placed,  and  the  sultan  replied,  as  he  was 
taking  his  seat,  "  Bird,  I  thank  you;  you  are  the  sultan  and  king 
of  birds." 

As  soon  as  the  sultan  saw  the  dish  of  cucumbers  set  before 
him,  he  reached  out  his  hand  and  took  one,  but  when  he  cut  it 


122 

he  was  greatly  surprised  to  find  it  stuffed  with  pearls.     "  What 
is  this  ?  ' '  said  he ;  "  and  why  are  these  cucumbers  stuffed  with 
pearls,  since  pearls  are  not  to  be  eaten  ?  ' '     He  looked  at  the 
princes  and  princess,  expecting  them  to  tell  him  the  meaning 
of  the  strange  dish,"  but  the  bird,  interrupting  him,  said,  "  Can  •, 
your  Majesty  be  in  such  great  astonishment  at  cucumbers  stuffed 
with  pearls,  which  you  see  with  your  own  eyes,  and  yet  so  easily 
believe  that  the  queen,  your  wife,  was  the  mother  of  a  dog,,  a  cat, ;- 
andapiece  of  wood  ?  "      "I  believed  these  things,"  replied  the 

^_ 1 O  I 

sultan,  "because  the  nurses  told  me  so."  'Those  nurses^ 
sire,"  replied  the  bird,  "  were  the  queen's  two  sisters.  They5 
were  jealous  of  her  happiness  in  being  your  wife  and  queen,  and 
through  spite  they  told  you  those  lies.  If  you  question  them, 
/  they  must  confess  their  crime.  The  two  brothers  and  the  sister 
whom  you  see  before  you  are  your  own  children.  Their  cruel 
aunts  exposed  them  on  the  canal,  hoping  they  would  be  drowned, 
but  they  were  saved  by  the  superintendent  of  your  gardens,  who 
adopted  and  brought  them  up  as  his  own  children. ' ' 

"  Bird,"  cried  the  sultan,  "  I  believe  what  you  tell  me.  The 
inclination  which  drew  me  to  them  at  first  makes  me  certain  that 
they  are  my  own  kin.  Come  then,  my  sons,  come,  my  daughter, 
let  me  embrace  you,  and  give  you  the  first  marks  of  a  father's 
love  and  tenderness."  The  sultan  then  rose,  and  after  having 
embraced  the  two  princes  and  the  princess,  and  mingled  his 
tears  with  theirs,  he  said,  "  It  is  not  enough,  my  children;  you 
must  embrace  each  other,  not  as  the  children  of  the  superin- 
tendent of  my  gardens,  to  whom  I  have  been  so  much  obliged 
for  preserving  your  lives,  but  as  my  own  children  of  the  royal 
family  of  Persia,  whose  glory  I  am  sure  you  will  maintain." 
After  the  princes  and  princess  embraced  one  another,  the  sultan 
sat  down  again  with  them,  and  finished  his  meal  in  haste.  When 
he  had  done  he  said,  "  My  children  you  see  in  me  your  father; 
to-morrow  I  will  bring  the  queen  your  mother;  therefore  pre- 
pare to  receive  her." 

Soon  afterwards  he  mounted  his  horse  and  returned  to  his 


123 

capital.  The  first  thing  he  did,  as  soon  as  he  alighted  and 
entered  his  palace,  was  to  command  the  grand  vizier  to  seize  the 
queen's  two  sisters.  They  were  taken  from  their  houses  sepa- 
rately, and  condemned  and  put  to  death.  Then  the  Sultan 
Khoonooshah,  followed  by  all  the  lords  of  his  court,  went  on 
foot  to  the  door  of  the  great  mosque,  and  after  he  had  taken  the 
queen  out  of  the  prison  in  which  she  had  suffered  for  so  many 
years,  he  embraced  her  and  said  to  her,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  I 
come  to  entreat  your  pardon  for  the  injustice  I  have  done  you,  and 
to  make  you  all  the  amends  I  can.  I  have  punished  your  cruel 
sisters  who  so  wickedly  deceived  me,  and  I  hope  soon  to  present 
to  you  two  noble  princes  and  a  lovely  princess,  our  children. 
Come  and  take  your  former  rank,  and  all  the  honors  which  are 
your  due."  This  was  done  and  said  before  great  crowds  of 
people,  who  nocked  from  all  parts  at  the  first  news  of  what  was 
passing,  and  immediately  spread  the  joyful  intelligence  through 
the  city. 

Next  morning  early  the  sultan  and  the  queen  went  with  all 
their  court  to  the  house  built  by  the  superintendent  of  the 
gardens,  where  the  sultan  presented  the  Princes  Bahman  and 
Perviz  and  the  Princess  Periezadeh  to  their  rejoicing  mother. 
"  These,"  said  he,  "  are  the  two  princes,  your  sons,  and  this 
is  the  princess  your  daughter;  they  are  worthy  of  both  me  and 
you. ' '  The  tears  flowed  plentifully  down  the  cheeks  of  all,  but  es- 
pecially of  the  queen,  from  her  exceeding  joy  at  having  her  chil- 
dren restored  to  her,  and  having  two  such  princes  for  her  sons, 
and  such  a  princess  for  her  daughter. 

The  Princes  Bahman  and  Perviz  and  the  Princess  Periezadeh 
were  then  brought  in  a  grand  procession  to  the  palace  of  the 
sultan,  and  nothing  was  seen  or  heard  all  the  day  or  evening  but 
rejoicings  and  illuminations  both  in  the  palace  and  in  all  parts  of 
the  city.  And  the  rejoicings  continued  many  days  and  ex- 
tended throughout  the  empire  of  Persia. 


124 

STORY  OF  ABOU  HASSAN  THE  WAG,   OR  THE 
SLEEPER  AWAKENED. 

There  was,  in  the  reign  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid,  a  mer- 
chant of  Bagdad,  and  he  had  a  son  named  Abou  Hassan.  This 
merchant  died,  leaving  to  his  son  his  vast  wealth.  Then  Abou 
Hassan  divided  his  property  into  two  equal  portions,  one  of 
which  he  laid  aside,  and  the  other  he  resolved  to  spend  in 
pleasure.  He  took  as  friends  a  number  of  merchants'  sons  and 
others,  and  spent  his  time  with  them  in  enjoying  himself,  giving 
grand  suppers  to  his  companions,  until  all  the  money  he  had  for 
this  purpose  was  gone. 

Then  he  discontinued  his  feasts,  and  as  soon  as  he  did  so  his 
companions  deserted  him.  Whenever  they  saw  him  they  avoided 
him,  and  if  by  chance  he  met  any  of  them,  and  tried  to  stop 
them,  they  always  excused  themselves  on  some  pretense  or 
other. 

Abou  Hassan  was  very  angry  at  this  conduct  of  his  friends, 
and  going  to  his  mother  and  telling  her  about  it,  he  said, 
"  Mother,  I  have  found  that  none  of  my  companions  deserve 
my  friendship.  I  therefore  give  them  up,  and  promise  you  I 
will  never  keep  their  company  any  more."  He  resolved  to  be 
as  good  as  his  word,  and  so  he  made  a  vow  never  to  associate 
with  any  of  those  whom  he  knew,  but  only  with  strangers,  and 
that  he  would  not  associate  with  any  person  for  more  than  one 
night.  And  so,  every  day,  towards  evening,  he  went  and  sat  at 
tha  end  of  the  bridge  of  Bagdad,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  a 
stranger,  he  saluted  him  politely,  and  invited  him  to  sup  and 
lodge  with  him  that  night.  In  the  morning  he  sent  the  guest 
away,  and  after  that  he  would  not  notice  him  if  he  met  him. 

Thus  he  continued  for  a  whole  year,  when  one  afternoon,  a 
little  before  sunset,  as  he  sat  upon  the  bridge  according  to 
custom,  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid  came  by;  but  he  was  so 
disguised  that  Abou  Hassan  did  not  know  him.  He  was  dressed 
like  a  merchant,  and  was  followed  by  a  tall,  stout  slave.  Abou 


125 

Hassan,  who  was  looking  out  for  a  guest,  rose  up  as  he  approached, 
and,  after  saluting  him  in  a  polite  manner,  said,  "  Sir,  I  welcome 
you  to  Bagdad.  I  beg  you  to  do  me  the  honor  to  take  supper  with 
me,  and  lodge  at  my  house  for  this  night,  after  the  fatigue  of 
your  journey."  He  then  told  him  about  his  custom  of  enter- 
taining the  first  stranger  he  met  with.  The  caliph  was  amused  at 
Abou  Hassan's  whim,  and  he  wished  to  know  the  cause  of  it,  so 
he  accepted  the  invitation. 

Abou  Hassan  treated  the  caliph  as  his  equal,  conducted  him 
home,  and  led  him  into  a  room  very  neatly  furnished,  where 
the  cloth  was  laid,  and  the  supper  ready.  Abou  sat  down  opposite 
his  guest,  and  he  and  the  caliph  began  to  eat  heartily  of  what 
they  liked  best.  When  they  had  done  eating,  Abou  Hassan's 
mother  cleared  the  table,  and  brought  up  dessert  of  all  the  various 
sorts  of  fruits  then  in  season,  —  grapes,  peaches,  apples,  pears,  — 
and  also  several  kinds  of  pastry.  As  soon  as  it  grew  dark,  wax 
candles  were  lighted,  and  Abou  Hassan,  after  requesting  his 
mother  to  take  care  of  the  caliph's  slave,  set  down  'bottles  and 
glasses.  Abou  Hassan  filled  a  glass  of  wine,  and  holding  it  in 
his  hand,  said  to  the  caliph,  "  Now  taste  this  wine,  sir;  I 
think  you  will  find  it  good."  "  I  am  sure  of  that,"  replied  the 
caliph,  laughing;  "  you  know  how  to  choose  the  best." 

The  caliph  and  Abou  Hassan  remained  together  till  the  night 
was  pretty  far  advanced,  when  the  caliph  said,  "  I  beg  of  you  to 
let  me  know  how  I  may  serve  you,  and  you  shall  see  I  will  not  be 
ungrateful.  Though  I  am  but  a  merchant,  it  may  be  in  my  power 
to  do  you  a  favor,  either  myself,  or  through  some  friend. ' ' 
Abou  Hassan  replied,  "  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness,  and  as 
you  are  so  obliging,  I  must  tell  you  there  is  one  thing  that  annoys 
me  much.  The  imaum  [minister]  of  the  mosque  in  the  dis- 
trict in  which  I  live,  and  four  of  his  friends,  try  to  be  masters 
over  me  and  the  whole  neighborhood.  Whenever  they  hear 
music  or  any  sport  going  on  in  a  house,  they  get  the  people 
fined,  and  worry  them  in  every  way.  I  should  like  to  be  caliph 
but  for  one  day,  instead  of  our  sovereign  lord  and  master, 


126 

Haroun  Alraschid,  Commander  of  the  Faithful.  I  would  punish 
the  imaum  and  his  four  friends  with  a  hundred  strokes  each  on 
the  soles  of  their  feet,  to  teach  them  not  to  disturb  and  abuse 
their  neighbors  in  future." 

The  caliph  was  much  amused  at  this  idea  of  Abou  Hassan's, 
and  while  Abou  was  talking,  he  took  the  bottle  and  two  glasses, 
and  filling  his  own  first  said,  "  Here  is  a  cup  of  thanks  to  you." 
Then  filling  the  other,  he  put  into  it,  unknown  to  Abou,  a  little 
sleeping  powder,  which  he  had  about  him,  and  giving  the  glass 
to  Abou  Hassan,  said,  ' '  I  beg  you  to  drink  this  for  my  sake. ' ' 
Abou  Hassan  took  the  glass,  and  drank  it  off  at  once.  Scarcely 
had  he.  set  the  empty  glass  upon  the  table,  when  the  powder 
began  to  operate,  and  he  fell  into  a  sound  sleep.  The  caliph 
then  commanded  the  slave  who  waited  for  him  to  take  Abou 
Hassan  and  carry  him  directly  to  the  royal  palace,  and  to  un- 
dress him  and  put  him  into  his  own  state  bed.  This  was 
immediately  done. 

The  caliph  next  sent  for  the  grand  vizier.  "  Giafar, "  said  he, 
"  I  have  sent  for  you  to  instruct  you,  and  to  prevent  your  being 
surprised  to-morrow  when  you  come  to  the  council  chamber,  at 
seeing  this  man  seated  on  my  throne  in  the  royal  robes.  I  wish 
you  to  address  him  with  the  same  respect  you  pay  to  myself. 
Do  whatever  he  bids  you  do,  the  same  as  if  I  commanded  you. 
Tell  all  the  lords  and  officers  within,  the  palace  to  pay  him  the 
same  honor  as  to  myself,  and  be  sure  to  wake  me  before  Abou 
Hassan,  because  I  wish  to  be  present  when  he  awakes. ' ' 

The  vizier  did  as  the  caliph  commanded,  and  in  the  morning 
the  caliph,  as  soon  as  he  had  dressed,  went  into  the  room  where 
Abou  Hassan  lay,  and  hid  himself  in  a  little  closet,  from  which 
he  could  see  all  that  passed.  The  officers  and  servants  who  were 
to  wait  on  Abou  Hassan  went  in  at  the  same  time,  and  took 
their  places,  ready  to  perform  their  duties,  as  if  the  caliph  him- 
self had  been  going  to  rise.  As  it  was  just  daybreak,  and  time  to 
prepare  for  morning  prayer  before  sunrise,  the  officer  who  stood 
nearest  to  the  head  of  the  bed  put  a  sponge  steeped  in  vinegar  to 


127 

Abou  Hassan's  nose,  and  he  immediately  awoke.  The  moment 
he  opened  his  eyes,  he  saw  a  large  room,  splendidly  furnished, 
with  a  finely  painted  ceiling,  adorned  with  vases  of  gold  and 
silver,  the  floor  covered  with  rich  carpets,  and  many  slaves 
bowing  down  before  him.  Casting  his  eyes  on  the  covering  of 
the  bed,  he  saw  it  was  cloth  of  gold,  embossed  with  pearls  and 
diamonds,  and  near  the  bed,  on  a  cushion,  was  a  robe  of  tissue 
embroidered  with  jewels. 

At  the  sight  of  this  splendor,  Abou  Hassan  was  amazed.  He 
looked  upon  all  he  saw  as  a  dream,  yet  he  wished  it  to  be  a 
reality.  "  So,"  said  he  to  himself ,  "I  am  caliph  !  But,"  added 
he,  thinking  for  a  moment,  "it  is  only  a  dream,  the  effect  of 
the  wish  I  made  to  my  guest  last  night. ' '  Then  he  turned  himself 
about  and  shut  his  eyes  to  sleep.  At  the  same  time  the  vizier, 
bowing  himself  to  the  ground,  said,  "  Commander  of  the  Faith- 
ful, it  is  time  for  your  Majesty  to  rise  to  prayers;  the  morning 
begins  to  advance. ' '  These  words  surprised  Abou  Hassan  very 
much.  He  clapped  his  hands  before  his  eyes,  and  lowering  his 
head,  said  to  himself,  "  What  means  all  this  ?  Where  am  I  ? 
To  whom  does  this  palace  belong  ?  What  can  these  viziers,  offi- 
cers, and  slaves  mean  ?  Am  I  in  my  right  senses  or  in  a 
dream  ?  ' ' 

When  he  took  his  hands  from  his  eyes,  and  lifted  up  his  head, 
the  sun  shone  full  in  at  the  window.  At  that  instant  Mesrour, 
chief  of  the  household,  came  in,  bowed  himself  before  Abou 
Hassan,  and  said,  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful,  your  Majesty 
will  excuse  me  for  telling  you  that  you  used  not  to  rise  so  late. 
It  is  time  for  you  to  ascend  your  throne  and  hold  your  council 
as  usual;  all  the  great  officers  of  state  are  already  in  the  council 
hall  awaiting  your  presence." 

Abou  Hassan  now  found  that  he  was  neither  asleep  nor  in  a 
dream,  but  he  was  embarrassed  and  confused  and  did  not  know 
what  to  do.  At  last,  looking  at  Mesrour,  he  said  to  him  in  a 
serious  tone,  "  Do  you  know  to  whom  you  speak,  and  whom  you 
call  Commander  of  the  Faithful  ?  I  do  not  know  you,  and 


128 

you  must  mistake  me  for  somebody  else."  "  My  lord  and 
master,"  answered  Mesrour,  "  is  not  your  Majesty  the  Com- 
mander of  the  Faithful,  monarch  of  the  world  from  east  to  west  ? 
Mesrour,  your  poor  slave,  has  not  forgotten  you,  after  so  many 
years  that  he  has  had  the  honor  and  happiness  to  serve  and  pay 
his  respects  to  your  Majesty." 

Abou  Hassan  burst  out  laughing  at  these  words,  and  fell  back- 
wards upon  the  bolster.  This  amused  the  caliph  so  much  that 
he  would  have  laughed  as  loud  himself,  but  he  did  not  wish  to 
spoil  the  sport  he  and  his  household  were  going  to  have. 

Abou  Hassan,,  when  he  had  tired  himself  laughing,  sat  up 
again,  and  calling  the  slave  that  stood  nearest  to  him,  said, 
"  Come  here  and  bite  the  end  of  my  finger,  that  I  may  feel 
whether  I  am  asleep  or  awake."  The  slave,  knowing  that  the 
caliph  saw  all  that  passed,  and  being  anxious  to  please  him,  went, 
and  putting  Abou's  finger  between  his  teeth,  he  bit  it  so  hard  that 
he  gave  him  great  pain.  Snatching  his  hand  quickly  back  Abou 
then  said,  "  I  find  I  am  awake;  I  feel,  and  hear,  and  see,  and 
therefore  I  know  that  I  am  not  asleep.  But  by  what  miracle 
have  I  become  caliph  in  a  night's  time  !  " 

Abou  Hassan  now  beginning  to  rise,  the  chief  of  the  officers 
gave  him  his  hand,  and  helped  him  to  get  out  of  bed.  As  soon 
as  his  feet  were  set  on  the  floor,  the  chamber  rang  with 
the  salutations  of  those  present,  who  all  cried  out  together, 
"  Commander  of 'the  Faithful,  God  give  your  Majesty  a  good 
day."  "  O  heaven  !  "  cried  Abou  Hassan,  "  what  a  strange 
thing  this  is  !  Yesterday  I  was  Abou  Hassan,  and  to-day  I 
am  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful.  I  cannot  understand  this 
sudden  and  surprising  change."  Then  the  slaves  began  to  dress 
him,  and  when  they  had  done,  they  led  him  through  all  the  at- 
tendants, -who  were  ranged  on  both  sides,  to  the  council  chamber 
door,  which  was  opened  by  one  of  the  officers.  Mesrour  walked 
before  him  to  the  foot  of  the  throne,  where  he  stopped,  and  then 
the  officers,  taking  him  by  the  arms,  helped  him  to  ascend  the 
throne,  upon  which  Abou  Hassan  sat  down. 


I2Q 

The  caliph,  in  the  mean  time,  came  out  of  the  closet,  and 
went  into  another,  which  looked  into  the  hall,  and  from  this  he 
could  see  and  hear  all  that  passed  in  council.  As  soon  as  Abou 
Hassan  seated  himself,  the  grand  vizier  bowed  down  at  the  foot 
of  the  throne,  and  rising,  said,  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful, 
God  shower  down  blessing  on  your  Majesty  in  this  life,  and  receive 
you  into  his  paradise  in  the  other  world. ' '  Abou  Hassan  then 
fully  believed  that  he  was  caliph,  as  he  wished  to  be,  and,  with- 
out any  further  questions  as  to  how  he  had  become  so,  imme- 
diately began  to  exercise  his  power.  So  looking  very  gravely  at 
the  vizier,  he  asked  him  what  he  had  to  say.  "  Commander  of 
the  Faithful,"  replied  the  grand  vizier,  "the  lords,  viziers,  and 
other  officers  of  your  council,  are  waiting  outside  till  your  Majesty 
gives  them  leave  to  pay  their  respects."  Abou  Hassan  ordered 
the  door  to  be  opened.  Then  the  viziers,  lords,  and  principal 
officers  of  the  court,  all  dressed  magnificently,  entered  the  hall, 
and  going  to  the  foot  of  the  throne,  paid  their  respects  to  Abou 
Hassan,  bowing  their  heads  down  to  the  carpet  and  saluting  him 
with  the  title  of  Commander  of  the  Faithful. 

When  this  ceremony  was  over,  the  grand  vizier,  standing 
before  the  throne,  began  to  make  his  report  of  affairs.  But  be- 
fore the  grand  vizier  had  finished  his  report,  Abou  Hassan 
noticed  the  police  judge,  or  cadi,  whom  he  knew  by  sight,  sitting 
in  the  hall.  "  Stop,"  said  he  to  the  grand  vizier,  interrupting 
him,  ' '  I  have  an  order  to  give  to  the  cadi. ' '  The  cadi,  hearing 
his  name  mentioned,  rose  from  his  seat,  and  went  to  the  foot  of 
the  throne,  where  he  bowed  down  with  his  face  to  the  ground. 
"  Go  immediately,"  said  Abou  Hassan,  "  to  the  mosque,  seize  the 
imaum  and  the  four  old  men,  his  friends,  and  give  each  of  them 
a  hundred  lashes.  After  that,  mount  them  all  five,  clothed  in 
rags,  on  camels,  with  their  faces  to  the  tails,  and  lead  them 
through  the  whole  city,  with  a  crier  before  them,  who  shall  cry 
with  a  loud  voice :  '  This  is  the  punishment  of  all  those  who 
interfere  in  other  people's  affairs.'  Make  them  also  leave  that 
district,  and  never  set  foot  in  it  more.  And  while  your  officer  is 


130 

conducting  them  through  the  town,  return  and  give  me  an  account 
of  the  carrying  out  of  my  orders. ' '  The  cadi,  bowing  himself  a 
second  time,  retired  to  execute  the  order. 

Abou  Hassan,  then  addressing  the  grand  vizier,  said,  "Go 
to  the  treasurer  for  a  purse  of  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold, 
and  carry  it  to  the  mother  of  one  Abou  Hassan.  She  lives 
in  the  same  quarter  to  which  I  sent  the  cadi.  Go,  and  return 
immediately."  The  grand  vizier,  after  bowing  himself  before 
the  throne,  went  to  the  treasurer  who  gave  him  the  money. 
Then  he  ordered  a  slave  to  take  it,  and  to  follow  him  to  Abou 
Hassan's  mother,  to  whom  he  gave  it,  saying,  "  The  caliph 
makes  you  this  present."  She  received  it  with  the  greatest 
surprise. 

During  the  grand  vizier's  absence,  the  cadi  made  the  usual  re- 
port of  his  office,  which  lasted  till  the  vizier  returned.  As  soon 
as  he  came  into  the  council  chamber,  and  told  Abou  Hassan  that 
he  had  executed  his  orders,  Abou  made  a  sign  to  the  viziers  and 
other  officers  that  the  council  was  over,  and  that  they  might  all 
retire.  This  they  did,  making  the  same  salutation  at  the  foot 
of  the  throne  as  when  they  entered. 

Abou  Hassan  now  descended  from  the  caliph's  throne,  and 
was  conducted  with  much  ceremony  into  a  magnificent  hall.  In 
this  hall  was  a  table  covered  with  gold  plates  and  dishes,  filled 
with  all  kinds  of  delicious  meats.  Seven  young  ladies,  dressed  in 
the  richest  habits,  stood  round  the  table,  each  with  a  fan  in  her 
hand,  to  fan  Abou  Hassan  when  at  dinner. 

When  he  entered  this  stately  hall  Abou  Hassan  was  charmed. 
At  every  step  he  took  he  could  not  help  stopping  to  examine  the 
wonders  that  met  his  eyes,  and  he  turned  first  to  one  side,  and 
then  to  the  other,  which  gave  the  caliph,  who  was  watching  him, 
very  great  pleasure.  At  last  he  sat  down  at  the  table,  and  pre- 
sently all  the  ladies  began  to  fan  the  new  caliph. 

When  the  ladies  saw  that  Abou  Hassan  had  done  eating,  one  of 
them  said  to  the  slaves  who  waited,  "  The  Commander  of  the 
Faithful  will  go  into  the  hall  where  the  dessert  is  laid;  bring  some 


water."  Then  the  slaves,  one  taking  a  gold  basin,  another  a 
ewer  of  the  same  metal,  and  a  third  a  towel,  kneeled  before 
Abou  Hassan,  and  presented  them  to  him  to  wash  his  hands. 
As  soon  as  he  had  done  he  got  up  and,  preceded  by  the  chief  offi- 
cer, went  into  another  hall,  as  large  as  the  former,  adorned  with 
paintings  by  the  best  artists,  and  furnished  with  gold  and  silver 
vessels,  carpets,  and  other  rich  furniture.  There  the  sultan's 
musicians  began  to  play  as  soon  as  Abou  Hassan  appeared.  In 
this  hall  there  was  a  table  in  the  middle  covered  with  dried  sweet- 
meats, the  choicest  and  most  exquisite  fruits  of  the  season,  raised 
in  pyramids,  in  seven  gold  basins,  and  seven  other  beautiful  ladies 
standing  round  it,  each  with  a  fan  in  her  hand. 

Abou  Hassan  went  directly  to  the  table  and  sat  down.  Then 
he  ordered  the  ladies  to  lay  aside  their  fans,  and  sit  down  and  eat 
with  him,  telling  them  that  it  was  not  so  hot  but  he  could  spare 
them  the  trouble  of  fanning.  After  they  had  partaken  of  the  de- 
licious fruits,  the  day  now  beginning  to  close,  Abou  Hassan  was 
conducted  into  a  fourth  hall,  much  more  magnificently  furnished, 
and  lighted  with  wax  in  seven  gold  candlesticks,  which  gave  a 
splendid  light.  In  this  hall  there  was  a  sideboard  set  out  with 
seven  large  silver  flagons,  full  of  the  choicest  wines,  and  by  them 
seven  crystal  glasses  of  the  finest  workmanship. 

As  soon  as  Abou  Hassan  entered  he  went  to  the  table,  sat  down, 
and  was  a  long  time  admiring  everything  which  surrounded  him. 
He  then  wished  to  continue  his  conversation  with  the  ladies,  and 
he  clapped  his  hands  for  the  musicians  to  cease,  which  they  at  once 
did.  Taking  by  the  hand  the  lady  who  stood  next  to  him,  he 
made  her  sit  down  by  him,  and,  presenting  her  with  a  cake,  asked 
her  name.  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  said  the  lady,  "  I 
am  called  Cluster  of  Pearls."  "  No  name,"  replied  Abou 
Hassan,  "  could  be  more  fitting  for  you,  for  your  teeth  exceed 
the  finest  pearls.  Cluster  of  Pearls,  since  that  is  your  name, 
oblige  me  with  a  glass  of  wine  from  your  hand."  The  lady  went 
to  the  sideboard,  filled  a  glass  of  wine,  and  putting  into  it  a  little 
of  the  same  powder  the  caliph  had  used  the  night  before,  she 


132 

presented  it  to  Abou  Hassan,  saying,  "  Commander  of  the 
Faithful,  I  beg  your  Majesty  to  take  this  glass  of  wine,  and 
before  you  drink  it,  do  me  the  favor  to  hear  a  song  I  have  com- 
posed to-day,  which  I  think  will  please  you. ' ' 

When  the  lady  concluded  her  song,  Abou  Hassan  drank  off  his 
glass,  and  turned  his  head  towards  her  to  speak  to  her.  But  in 
a  moment,  dropping  his  head  on  the  cushions,  he  fell  asleep  and 
slept  as  soundly  as  on  the  day  before,  when  the  caliph  gave  him 
the  powder.  One  of  the  ladies  stood  ready  to  catch  the  glass, 
which  fell  out  of  his  hand.  Then  the  caliph,  who  was  all  along 
a  spectator  of  what  passed,  came  into  the  hall,  overjoyed  at  the 
success  of  his  plan.  He  ordered  Abou  Hassan  to  be  dressed  in 
his  own  clothes,  carried  back  to  his  own  house,  and  placed  in 
his  bed. 

Abou  Hassan  slept  till  very  late  the  next  morning.  When  he 
awoke,  opened  his  eyes,  and  found  himself  at  home,  he  was  in 
the  utmost  surprise.  "  Cluster  of  Pearls,"  cried  he,  "  where  are 
you  ?  Come  here. "  He  called  so  loud  that  his  mother,  who  was 
in  her  own  apartment,  heard  him,  and  running  to  him,  said, 
"  What  ails  you,  son  ?  what  has  happened  to  you  ?  "  At  these 
words  Abou  Hassan  lifted  up  his  head,  and  looking  at  his  mother, 
said,  "  Good  woman,  who  is  it  you  call  son  ?  "  "  Why,  you," 
answered  his  mother;  "  are  not  you  Abou  Hassan,  my  son  ?  It 
is  strange  that  you  have  forgotten  yourself  so  soon. "  "I  your 
son  !  "  replied  Abou  Hassan.  "  You  know  not  what  you  say.  I 
am  not  Abou  Hassan,  but  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful." 
"  Pray,  son,"  said  the  mother,  "  let  us  leave  off  this  discourse. 
Let  us  talk  of  something  else.  I  will  tell  you  what  happened 
yesterday  to  the  imaum  of  the  mosque  and  four  of  his  friends. 
The  cadi  came  and  seized  them,  and  gave  each  of  them  I  know 
not  how  many  strokes,  while  a  crier  proclaimed  that  that  was 
the  punishment  of  all  those  who  troubled  themselves  about  other 
people's  business.  He  afterwards  led  them  through  all  the 
streets,  and  ordered  them  never  to  come  into  our  quarter  again. ' ' 

As  soon  as  Abou  Hassan  heard  this  he  cried  out,  "  It  was  by 


133 

my  order  they  were  punished,  and  I  tell  you  I  am  the  Com- 
mander of  the  Faithful." 

The  mother  then  began  to  fear  that  her  son  had  lost  his  senses, 
and  in  this  thought  she  said,  "  I  pray  God  to  have  mercy  upon 
you,  and  to  give  you  sense  to  talk  more  reasonably.  What  would 
the  neighbors  say  to  hear  you  rave  in  this  manner  ?  ' ' 

These  words  only  enraged  Abou  Hassan  the  more.  He  was  so 
angry  that  he  lost  all  the  respect  due  from  a  son  to  his  mother. 
Getting  up  hastily,  and  laying  hold  of  a  cane,  he  rushed  towards 
her  in  great  fury,  and  said,  "  Tell  me  directly  who  I  am."  "  I 
do  not  believe,  son, ' '  replied  she,  looking  at  him  tenderly,  and 
withour  fear,  ' '  that  you  are  so  abandoned  by  God  as  not  to  know 
your  mother.  You  are  indeed  my  son  Abou  Hassan,  and  are 
much  in  the  wrong  to  take  to  yourself  the  title  which  belongs 
only  to  our  sovereign  lord,  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid,  especially 
after  the  noble  and  generous  present  of  a  thousand  pieces  of 
gold  that  he  sent  us  yesterday ! ' ' 

At  these  words  Abou  Hassan  grew  quite  mad.  "  Well,"  cried 
he,  "  you  must  be  convinced  when  I  tell  you  that  I  sent  you  those 
thousand  pieces  of  gold,  as  I  was  Commander  of  the  Faithful. 
Why,  then,  do  you  say  that  I  am  your  son  ?  But  you  shall  not  go 
unpunished."  After  these  words,  in  the  height  of  his  madness 
he  beat  her  with  his  cane.  The  poor  mother,  who  could  not  un- 
derstand her  son,  called  out  for  help  so  loud  that  the  neighbors 
ran  in  to  her  assistance.  Abou  Hassan  continued  to  beat  her,  at 
every  stroke  asking  her  if  he  was  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful, 
to  which  she  always  answered  tenderly  that  he  was  her  son.  The 
neighbors  severely  reproved  Abou  Hassan  for  his  conduct,  but  he 
said  to  them,  ' '  Begone !  I  know  neither  her  nor  you.  I  am 
not  Abou  Hassan,  I  am  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful,  and 
will  make  you  feel  it  to  your  cost." 

Then  the  neighbors,  feeling  certain  that  he  was  mad,  seized 
him,  and  took  him  to  the  hospital  for  mad  people,  where  he  was 
put  in  a  cell.  His  mother  went  every  day  to  visit  him,  and 
wept  at  the  hardships  he  endured,  for  they  punished  him 


134 

whenever  he  talked  about  being  the  Commander  of  the  Faith- 
ful. At  last  he  began  to  think  that  he  was  not  the  caliph. 
Sometimes  he  would  say  to  himself,  ' '  If  I  was  Commander  of 
the  Faithful,  why  should  the  grand  vizier  and  all  those  lords, 
who  bowed  themselves  at  my  feet,  forsake  me  ?  How  came 
I  to  be  dressed  in  my  own  robes  ?  Certainly  I  ought  to  look 
upon  all  as  a  dream. ' ' 

Abou  Hassan  was  occupied  with  these  thoughts  one  day  when 
his  mother  came  to  see  him.  "  Well,  my  son,"  said  she,  wiping 
her  tears,  ' '  how  do  you  do,  and  how  do  you  find  yourself  ?  ' ' 
"  Indeed,  mother,"  replied  Abou  Hassan,  very  calmly,  "  I 
acknowledge  my  error.  I  have  been  deceived  by  a  dream,  but 
by  so  extraordinary  a  one,  and  so  like  the  truth,  that  while  I  am 
speaking  I  can  hardly  believe  but  that  what  happened  me  was 
matter  of  fact.  I  am  convinced  now,  however,  that  I  am  not  the 
Commander  of  the  Faithful,  but  Abou  Hassan,  your  son." 
"  My  son,"  cried  she  with  pleasure,  "  to  hear  you  talk  so  rea- 
sonably gives  me  the  greatest  joy.  But  I  must  tell  you  my 
opinion  of  your  adventure.  I  fear  that  the  stranger  you  brought 
home  the  evening  before  your  illness  to  sup  with  you  was  the 
cause  of  your  trouble."  Then  she  went  immediately  to  the 
keeper  of  the  hospital,  who  came  and  examined  Abou  Hassan 
and,  finding  him  recovered,  released  him. 

Soon  after  returning  home  Abou  Hassan  again  began  his  former 
practice  of  inviting  a  stranger  to  supper  every  night.  On  the 
first  day  he  had  not  been  long  at  the  bridge,  when  he  saw  the 
same  merchant,  followed  by  the  same  slave.  Believing  that  all 
his  misfortunes  were  caused  by  this  man,  he  shuddered  at  the 
sight  of  him.  "  God  preserve  me,"  said  he  to  himself;  "  if  I  am 
not  deceived,  there  is  again  the  magician  who  enchanted  me." 
He  trembled  with  fear  and  resolved  not  to  look  again  at  him  till 
he  had  passed. 

The  caliph  had  taken  care  to  learn  all  that  happened  to  Abou 
Hassan,  and  he  was  glad  that  he  had  returned  to  his  usual  man- 
ner of  living.  He  saw  Abou  Hassan  at  the  same  moment  that  Abou 


135 

saw  him,  and  when  he  came  near  him,  he  looked  him  in  the  face. 
"  Ho,  brother  Abou  Hassan,"  said  he,  "is  it  you  ?  I  am  glad 
to  see  you."  "  I  am  not  glad  to  see  you,"  replied  Abou  Has- 
san ;  ' '  they  called  me  a  madman,  and  beat  me  in  the  madhouse, 
and  all  this  I  have  suffered  through  you.  Depart  from  me  and 
go  thy  way."  The  caliph  was  not  to  be  turned  from  his  pur- 
pose by  this  rude  behavior.  He  knew  well  the  rule  Abou  Has- 
san had  made  never  to  invite  any  person  to  supper  a  second 
time,  but  he  pretended  to  be  ignorant  of  it.  ' '  Ah,  brother  Abou 
Hassan, ' '  said  he,  "  I  do  not  intend  to  part  with  you  thus,  since 
I  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  with  you  a  second  time. 
You  must  show  me  the  same  hospitality  again  that  you  showed 
me  a  month  ago,  when  I  had  the  honor  to  take  supper  with  you. ' ' 
Abou  Hassan,  notwithstanding  his  resolution,  could  not  refuse 
the  request  of  the  caliph,  whom  he  still  took  for  a  merchant. 
"  I  will  consent,"  said  he,  "  on  condition  that  thou  swear  to  me 
by  the  inscription  on  the  seal  of  Solomon  that  thou  wilt  not  per- 
mit thy  genies  to  make  sport  of  me."  "Well,"  replied  the 
caliph,  "  since  you  will  have  it  so,  I  promise  you." 

As  soon  as  Abou  Hassan  entered  his  house,  he  called  for  his 
mother  and  desired  his  guest  to  sit  down  upon  a  sofa.  In  a 
little  while  supper  was  served,  and  they  both  began  to  eat. 
When  they  had  done,  Abou  Hassan's  mother  cleared  the  table, 
set  on  a  dessert  of  fruit  and  wine,  and  then  withdrew.  Abou 
Hassan  first  filled  out  his  own  glass  and  then  the  caliph's,  and 
after  they  had  talked  for  some  time,  the  caliph  said,  "It  is 
a  great  pity  that  so  good  a  man  as  you  should  lead  a  single  life. ' ' 
"  I  prefer  the  easy,  quiet  life  I  live,"  replied  Abou  Hassan,  "  to 
having  a  wife  that  would  not  please  me.  I  should  require 
beauty,  accomplishments,  the  art  of  pleasing,  and  wit  in  con- 
versation, but  where  is  such  a  woman  to  be  found  except  in  the 
caliph's  palace  ?  "  "  Let  me  alone,"  said  the  caliph  in  reply, 
"  since  you  have  the  same  good  taste  as  every  other  honest  man, 
I  warrant  you  I  will  find  you  a  wife  that  shall  please  you." 
Then  taking  Abou  Hassan's  glass,  and  putting  a  pinch  of  the 


136 

same  powder  into  it,  he  filled  it  up,  and  presenting  it  to  him, 
said,  "  Come,  let  us  drink  beforehand  the  fair  lady's  health  who 
is  to  make  you  happy.  I  am  sure  you  will  like  her."  Abou 
Hassan  took  the  glass,  and,  laughing  and  shaking  his  head,  said, 
"  Be  it  so,  since  you  desire  it;  I  will  drink  the  health  of  the  lady 
you  promise  me,  though  I  am  very  well  contented  as  I  am,  and 
do  not  rely  on  your  keeping  your  word. ' '  As  soon  as  he  drank 
off  his  glass  he  fell  into  as  deep  a  sleep  as  before,  and  the  caliph 
ordered  the  same  slave  to  take  him  and  carry  him  to  the  palace. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  palace,  the  caliph  ordered  Abou 
Hassan  to  be  dressed  in  the  same  robes  in  which  he  had  acted 
as  caliph,  and  to  be  laid  on  a  sofa  in  the  fourth  hall,  from  which 
he  had  been  carried  home  asleep  a  month  before.  He  also 
ordered  all  the  viziers,  officers,  ladies,  and  musicians  to  be  there 
by  daybreak,  and  to  take  care  to  act  their  parts  well  when  Abou 
Hassan  should  awake.  He  then  retired  to  rest,  telling  Mesrour 
to  awake  him  first,  that  he  might  conceal  himself  in  the  closet  as 
before. 

At  daylight  Abou  Hassan  awoke,  and  at  the  same  moment  the 
fifes,  flutes,  and  other  instruments  commenced  to  play.  Abou 
Hassan  was  greatly  surprised  to  hear  the  music,  but  when  he 
opened  his  eyes,  and  saw  the  ladies  and  officers  about  him,  and 
the  magnificent  chamber  which  he  had  visited  in  his  first  dream, 
his  surprise  increased.  When  the  concert  stopped  and  all  the 
officers  waited,  in  respectful  silence,  Abou  Hassan  bit  his  finger, 
and  cried  loud  enough  for  the  caliph  to  hear  him,  "  Alas!  I  am 
fallen  again  into  the  same  dream  that  happened  to  me  a  month 
ago,  and  must  expect  again  the  punishment  and  grated  cell  at  the 
madhouse.  He  was  a  wicked  man  that  I  had  at  my  house  last 
night.  He  is  the  cause  of  this,  and  the  hardships  I  must  again 
undergo."  Thus  speaking,  he  resolved  to  sleep  again,  and  to 
regard  all  he  saw  as  a  dream.  But  they  would  not  give  him  time  to 
do  so,  and  one  of  the  officers  taking  him  by  one  arm,  and  a  second 
by  the  other,  they  lifted  him  up,  and  carried  him  into  the  middle 
of  the  hall.  Here  they  seated  him,  and,  all  taking  hands,  danced 


137 

and  skipped  round  him  while  the  music  played  and  sounded  loudly 
in  his  ears. 

Abou  Hassan  commanded  silence,  and  inquired  whether  he 
were  indeed  the  caliph.  They  told  him  that  he  had  never  been 
out  of  that  hall  since  the  time  he  fell  asleep  in  it.  He  then  un- 
covered his  shoulders,  and  showed  the  marks  of  the  blows  he  had 
received -in  the  madhouse.  "Look,"  said  he,  "and  judge 
whether  these  strokes  could  come  to  me  in  a  dream,  or  when  I 
was  asleep.  I  can  tell  you  they  were  real  blows ;  I  feel  the  smart 
of  them  yet,  and  that  is  sure  proof.  Now  if  I  received  these 
strokes  in  my  sleep,  in  this  hall,  it  is  the  most  extraordinary  thing 
in  the  world. ' ' 

Abou  Hassan  then  called  to  one  of  the  officers  that  stood  near 
him,  and  said,  "Come  here  and  bite  the  tip  of  my  ear,  that  I 
may  know  whether  I  am  asleep  or  awake. ' '  The  officer  obeyed, 
and  bit  so  hard  that  he  made  him  cry  out  loudly  with  pain.  The 
music  struck  up  at  the  same  time,  and  the  officers  and  ladies  all 
began  to  sing,  dance,  and  skip  about  Abou  Hassan,  and  made" 
such  a  noise  that  he  was  certain  they  were  making  game  of  him. 
Then  he  thought  he  would  join  in  the  joke,  and  so  he  threw  off 
his  caliph's  dress,  leaped  up  in  his  shirt  and  drawers,  and  danced 
with  the  rest,  jumping,  and  cutting  capers.  The  caliph  could 
not  contain  himself  any  longer,  but  burst  into  loud  laughter,  and 
putting  his  head  into  the  room,  cried,  "Abou  Hassan,  Abou 
Hassan,  have  you  a  mind  to  kill  me  with  laughing?" 

As  soon  as  the  caliph's  voice  was  heard  everybody  was  silent, 
and  Abou  Hassan,  turning  round,  recognized  his  guest  of  the 
previous  night,  and  knew  him  to  be  the  caliph.  He  understood 
at  once  all  that  had  happened  to  him.  "  Ha!  ha!  "  said  he, 
looking  at  him  with  a  smile,  "you  pretend  to  be  a  merchant. 
You  have  made  me  beat  my  mother,  and  lose  my  senses,  and 
have  been  the  occasion  of  all  my  misfortunes.  I  -beg  of  you  to 
tell  me  what  you  did  to  disturb  my  brain  in  this  manner." 

"  You  will  remember,"  said  the  caliph,  "the  evening  that  you 
invited  me  to  supper,  you  told  me  that  the  only  thjng  you  wished 


138 

for  was  to  be  caliph  for  four-and-twenty  hours.  I  saw  in  this 
wish  of  yours  a  source  of  some  harmless  amusement  to  me  and 
to  my  court,  and  I  resolved  to  procure  for  you  the  fulfillment  of 
your  wish.  By  means  of  a  powder  which  I  put,  without  your 
knowledge,  in  the  glass  I  presented  to  you,  I  had  you  conveyed 
to  my  palace.  You  know  the  rest.  I  am  sorry  that  my  sport 
has  caused  you  so  much  suffering,  but  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  make 
up  for  it.  Thou  art  my  brother;  ask  what  thou  wilt  and  thou 
shalt  have  it. ' ' 

"Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  replied  Abou  Hassan,  "no 
matter  how  great  my  sufferings  may  have  been,  they  are  all 
forgotten,  since  my  sovereign  lord  and  master  had  a  share  in 
them.  The  only  favor  I  beg  is  that  I  may  be  permitted  to 
visit  you,  to  enjoy  the  happiness  of  admiring  your  virtues." 
The  caliph  ordered  a  rich  robe  to  be  brought,  and  presented  to 
Abou  Hassan  and  he  appointed  him  to  an  office  in  the  palace, 
and  directed  the  treasurer  to  give  him  a  purse  of  a  thousand  gold 
pieces. 

After  this  the  caliph  often  had  Abou  Hassan  at  court,  and 
took  him  to  visit  his  queen,  Zobeide,  to  whom  he  related  his 
story.  Now  Zobeide  soon  saw  that  every  time  he  came  with  the 
caliph  he  had  his  eyes  always  fixed  upon  one  of  her  lady  attend- 
ants, called  Nouzatalf uad.  ' '  Commander  of  the  Faithful, ' '  said 
she  one  day,  "you  do  not  see  that  every  time  Abou  Hassan 
attends  you  in  your  visits  to  me,  he  never  keeps  his  eyes  off 
Nouzatalfuad,  and  pays  her  great  attention.  If  you  approve  of 
it,  \tfe  will  make  a  match  between  them."  "Madam,"  replied 
the  caliph,  "I  have  already  promised  Abou  Hassan  a  wife,  but  it 
is  better  that  he  should  choose  for  himself. ' '  Abou  Hassan,  who 
was  present  at  the  time,  threw  himself  at  the  caliph's  and  Zo- 
beide's  feet,  and  rising  up,  said,  "  I  cannot  receive  a  wife  from 
better  hands,  but  dare  not  hope  that  Nouzatalfuad  will  give  her 
consent."  At  these  words  he  looked  at  the  lady,  who  was  also 
present,  and  who  showed  by  her  respectful  silence,  that  she  was 
willing  to  obey  the  caliph  and  her  mistress  Zobeide. 


139 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  in  the  palace,  with  great  rejoic- 
ings, which  lasted  several  days.  Zobeide  made  her  attendant 
many  presents,  and  the  caliph  did  the  same  to  Abou  Hassan. 
The  bride  was  conducted  to  the  apartment  the  caliph  had  allotted 
to  Abou  Hassan,  who  received  her  with  the  greatest  happiness. 
They  were  charmed  with  each  other.  Indeed,  Nouzatalfuad  was 
just  such  a  wife  as  Abou  Hassan  had  described  to  the  caliph. 
After  their  marriage,  they  gave  costly  entertainments,  sparing  no 
expense  for  the  amusement  of  their  friends,  until,  at  the  end  of 
the  first  year  of  their  marriage,  they  had  spent  all  the  presents 
given  by  the  sultan  and  Zobeide,  as  well  as  Abou  Hassan's  own 
private  fortune. 

Being  in  great  need  of  money  and  not  wishing  to  ask  any 
from  the  sultan  or  Zobeide,  Abou  Hassan  resolved  to  play  a 
pleasant  trick  on  the  caliph  and  on  Zobeide,  and  to  obtain  from 
them  the  means  of  carrying  on  his  usual  mode  of  living.  ' '  I  will 
tell  you  what  I  propose,"  said  he  to  Nouzatalfuad.  "I  will  pre- 
tend to  be  dead,  and  you  shall  place  me  in  the  middle  of  my 
chamber,  laid  out,  as  if  ready  to  be  carried  to  burial.  When 
you  have  done  this,  you  must  weep,  tear  your  clothes  and  hair, 
and  go  all  in  tears  to  Zobeide.  The  princess  will  of  course  in- 
quire the  cause  of  your  grief,  and  when  you  tell  her,  she  will  pity 
you,  give  you  money  to  defray  the  expense  of  my  funeral,  and 
a  piece  of  good  brocade  in  place  of  that  you  will  have  torn. 
As  soon  as  you  return  with  the  money  and  the  brocade,  I  will 
rise,  lay  you  in  my  place,  and  go  and  act  the  same  part  with  the 
caliph,  who,  I  dare  say,  will  be  as  generous  to  me  as  Zobeide  will 
have  been  to  you. ' ' 

Nouzatalfuad  highly  approved  of  the  plan,  and  so  she  laid  out 
her  husband  as  he  directed.  Then  she  pulled  off  her  headdress, 
and,  with  a  dismal  cry  and  lamentation,  beating  her  face  and 
breast  with  all  the  marks  of  grief,  she  ran  across  the  court  to  Zo- 
beide's  apartments.  The  princess,  amazed  to  see  her  in  such 
extraordinary  grief,  asked  what  had  happened.  Instead  of 
answering,  she  continued  her  sobs,  and  at  last,  pretending  to 


140 

strive  to  check  them,  said,  with  words  interrupted  with  sighs, 
"Alas!  my  most  honored  mistress,  what  greater  misfortune  could 
have  happened  to  me!  Abou  Hassan!  poor  Abou  Hassan! 
whom  you  gave  me  for  a  husband,  is  no  more!"  Zobeide  was 
extremely  grieved  at  hearing  this.  She  then  commanded  her 
women  to  fetch  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  and  a  rich  brocade,  and 
to  give  them  to  Nouzatalfuad,  who  thanked  the  princess  very 
much  for  her  kindness. 

As  soon  as  she  got  out  of  the  princess's  presence,  she  dried 
up  her  tears,  and  returned  with  joy  to  Abou  Hassan.  "Come, 
husband,"  said  she,  laughing,  "now  do  you  hasten  and  see  if  you 
can  manage  the  caliph  as  well  as  I  have  managed  Zobeide."  "It 
would  be  odd  indeed,"  replied  he,  "if  I,  who  made  this  plot 
myself,  could  not  carry  it  on  as  well  as  you.  But  let  us  lose  no 
time;  lie  down  in  my  place,  and  see  if  I  do  not  come  off  with  as 
much  success." 

Abou  Hassan  wrapped  up  his  wife  as  she  had  done  with  him, 
and,  like  a  man  in  the  greatest  grief,  ran  to  the  caliph.  He  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  door,  and  the  officer  opened  it.  He  entered, 
holding  with  one  hand  his  handkerchief  before  his  eyes,  to  hide 
the  pretended  tears,  striking  his  breast  with  the  other,  and 
uttering  exclamations  expressing  extraordinary  grief.  The  caliph, 
always  used  to  seeing  Abou  Hassan  with  a  merry  face,  inquired 
with  much  uneasiness  the  cause  of  his  grief.  "Commander  of 
the  Faithful, ' '  answered  Abou  Hassan,  with  sighs  and  sobs,  ' '  may 
you  long  reign !  A  greater  misfortune  could  not  have  happened 
to  me  than  what  I  now  lament.  Alas !  Nouzatalfuad !  my  wife ! 
alas!  alas!" 

The  caliph,  who  now  understood  that  Abou  Hassan  came  to 
tell  him  of  the  death  of  his  wife,  was  much  distressed,  and  said 
to  him  with  an  air  which  showed  how  he  regretted  her  loss,  "God 
be  merciful  to  her !  She  was  a  good  woman,  and  we  gave  her  to 
you  with  an  intention  to  make  you  happy;  she  deserved  a  longer 
life."  Having  said  this,  he  ordered  his  treasurer,  who  was  pres- 
ent, to  give  Abou  Hassan  a  purse  of  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and 


a  piece  of  brocade.  Abou  Hassan  immediately  cast  himself  at 
the  caliph's  feet,  and  thanked  him  for  his  present.  He  then 
went  to  his  apartment,  well  pleased  with  having  found  out  so 
quick  and  easy  a  way  of  supplying  the  necessity  which  had  given 
him  so  much  uneasiness.  Nouzatalfuad,  as  soon  as  she  heard 
the  door  open,  sprang  up,  ran  to  her  husband,  and  asked  him  if 
he  had  imposed  on  the  caliph  as  cleverly  as  she  had  imposed  on 
Zobeide.  "  You  see !  "  said  he,  showing  her  the  stuff,  and  shak- 
ing the  purse. 

The  caliph  was  so  impatient  to  sympathize  with  Zobeide  on 
the  death  of  her  favorite  companion,  that  he  rose  up  as  soon  as 
Abou  Hassan  was  gone.  " Follow  me, "  said  he  to  the  vizier; 
"let  us  go  and  share  with  the  princess  the  grief  which  the  death 
of  Nouzatalfuad  must  have  caused  her." 

Accordingly  they  went  to  Zobeide 's  apartment.  They  found 
her  sitting  on  a  sofa,  much  distressed,  and  still  in  tears. 
"Madam,"  said  the  caliph,  "I  wish  to  tell  you  how  much  I 
sympathize  with  you  in  your  grief  at  the  loss  of  Nouzatalfuad, 
your  faithful  attendant. ' '  "Commander  of  the  Faithful, ' '  replied 
Zobeide,  "I  do  not  lament  my  attendant's  death,  but  that  of 
Abou  Hassan,  her  husband."  "Madam,"  said  the  caliph,  "you 
are  deceived;  Nouzatalfuad  is  dead,  and  Abou  Hassan  is  alive, 
and  in  perfect  health. ' ' 

Zobeide,  somewhat  offended  at  this  answer  of  the  caliph,  re- 
plied, "Permit  me  to  repeat  that  it  is  Abou  Hassan  who  is  dead, 
and  that  Nouzatalfuad,  his  widow,  is  living.  It  is  not  an  hour 
since  she  went  from  here,  having  told  me  of  her  loss.  All  my 
women,  who  wept  with  me,  can  bear  witness  that  I  made  her  a 
present  of  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  and  a  piece  of  brocade. 
The  grief  which  you  found  me  in  was  on  account  of  the  death  of 
her  husband." 

At  these  words  of  Zobeide,  the  caliph  cried  out  in  a  fit  of 
laughter,  ' '  This,  madam,  is  a  strange  mistake ;  but, ' '  said  he, 
seriously,  "you  may  depend  upon  it  that  Nouzatalfuad  is  dead." 
"I  tell  you  no,  sir,"  replied  Zobeide;  "it  is  Abou  Hassan  that  is 


142 

dead."  Upon  this  the  caliph  became  angry,  and  he  ordered 
the  vizier  to  go  at  once  and  find  out  the  truth  and  bring  him 
word. 

As  soon  as  the  vizier  was  gone,  the  caliph,  addressing  Zobeide, 
said,  "You  will  see  in  a  moment  which  of  us  is  right."  "For 
my  part, ' '  replied  Zobeide,  ' '  I  know  very  well  that  I  am  right, 
and  you  will  find  it  to  be  Abou  Hassan  who  is  dead."  "And 
for  myself,"  returned  the  caliph,  "I  am  so  sure  that  it  is  Nouza- 
talfuad  that  I  will  stake  my  garden  of  pleasures  against  your 
palace  of  paintings,  though  the  one  is  worth  much  more  than  the 
other."  "I  accept  the  wager,"  said  Zobeide,  "and  will  abide 
by  it."  The  caliph  declared  the  same  intention,  and  both 
awaited  the  vizier's  return. 

While  the  caliph  and  Zobeide  were  disputing  so  earnestly, 
Abou  Hassan,  who  had  expected  something  of  this  kind,  was 
watching  for  what  might  happen.  As  soon  as  he  noticed  the 
vizier  through  a  window,  at  which  he  sat  talking  with  his  wife, 
and  saw  that  he  was  coming  directly  to  their  apartment,  he  bade 
his  wife  make  haste  to  act  the  part  they  had  agreed  on.  He  had 
barely  time  to  wrap  up  Nouzatalfuad,  and  lay  upon  her  the  piece 
of  brocade  which  the  caliph  had  given  him,  before  the  vizier 
entered  the  apartment.  Seeing  Nouzatalfuad  laid  out,  and  Abou 
Hassan  shedding  tears  over  her,  the  vizier  immediately  returned 
to  the  caliph  and  said,  "Commander  of  the  Faithful,  it  is  Nouza- 
talfuad who  is  dead,  and  Abou  Hassan  is  as  much  grieved  as 
when  he  appeared  before  your  Majesty."  The  caliph,  not  giv- 
ing him  time  to  finish  his  story,  interrupted  him,  and  addressing 
Zobeide,  "Well,  madam,"  said  he,  "have  you  yet  anything  to  say 
against  so  certain  a  truth  ?  Will  you  still  believe  that  Nouzatal- 
fuad is  alive,  and  that  Abou  Hassan  is  dead  ?  And  will  you  not 
own  that  you  have  lost  your  wager?"  "How,  sir?"  replied 
Zobeide;  "I  am  not  blind  or  mad!  With  these  eyes  I  saw 
Nouzatalfuad  in  the  greatest  grief.  I  spoke  to  her  myself,  and 
she  told  me  that  her  husband  was  dead.  My  women  also  heard 
her  cries  and  saw  her  tears.  Let  .me,  I  pray  you,  send  my  nurse, 


in  whom  I  can  place  confidence,  to  Abou  Hassan's,  to  know 
whether  or  not  I  am  in  error."  The  caliph  consented,  and  the 
nurse  set  out  on  her  inquiry. 

Now  Abou  Hassan,  who  again  watched  at  the  window,  saw  the 
nurse  at  a  distance,  and,  guessing  that  she  was  sent  by  Zobeide, 
called  his  wife,  and  told  her  that  the  princess's  nurse  was  coming 
to  know  the  truth.  "Therefore,"  said  he,  "make  haste,  and 
do  to  me  as  we  have  agreed  on. ' '  Accordingly,  Nouzatalfuad 
covered  him  with  the  brocade  Zobeide  had  given  her,  and  laid 
him  out  as  if  dead.  The  nurse,  soon  entering  the  room,  saw 
Nouzatalfuad  in  tears,  and  seated  at  the  head  of  her  husband, 
beating  her  breast,  with  all  the  expressions  of  deep  grief. 

Then  the  nurse  made  all  the  haste  she  could  to  Zobeide,  and 
gave  the  caliph  and  the  princess  a  true  account  of  what  she  saw, 
declaring  that  it  was  Abou  Hassan  who  was  dead.  The  caliph 
was  now  much  astonished  and  puzzled,  and  he  said,  "It  seems  to 
me  a  strange  thing  that  no  one  can  be  believed  more  than  an- 
other. Therefore,  I  propose  we  go  ourselves  to  find  out  the 
truth,  for  I  see  no  other  way  to  settle  this  question."  So  say- 
ing, the  caliph  arose,  and  the  princess  and  her  attendants  fol- 
lowed. 

Abou  Hassan,  who  saw  them  coming,  told  his  wife  of  it. 
"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  cried  she;  "we  are  ruined  !  "  "Not  at 
all;  don't  be  afraid,"  said  Abou  Hassan.  -"Let  us  do  as  we  have 
agreed,  and  all  will  turn  out  well.  At  the  rate  they  are  coming, 
we  shall  be  ready  before  they  reach  the  door." 

Abou  Hassan  and  his  wife  then  covered  themselves  as  well  as 
they  could,  and  placing  themselves,  one  beside  the  other,  in  the 
middle  of  the  chamber,  each  under  a  piece  of  brocade,  they 
waited  quietly  for  the  arrival  of  the  caliph  and  Zobeide.  On 
entering  the  chamber,  followed  by  all  their  people,  the  caliph  and 
the  princess  were  much  surprised  at  the  spectacle  which  presented 
itself  to  their  view.  Zobeide  at  last  broke  silence.  "Alas!  "said 
she  to  the  caliph,  "it  is  too  true  my  dear  Nouzatalfuad  is  dead, 
as  it  seems,  for  grief  at  having  lost  her  husband."  "Allow 


144 

rather,  madam,"  replied  the  caliph,  "that  Nouzatalfuad  died 
first,  and  that  the  poor  Abou  Hassan  died  of  grief  at  seeing  his 
wife  dead."  "No,"  replied  Zobeide,  "Abou  Hassan  died  first, 
because  my  nurse  saw  his  wife  alive,  and  lamenting  her  husband's 
death."  At  last  the  caliph,  thinking  upon  all  that  had  passed, 
and  vexed  at  not  being  able  to  come  at  the  truth,  cried  out,  "I 
will  give  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  to  the  person  who  shall  find 
which  of  the  two  died  first." 

The  caliph  had  scarcely  spoken  these  words,  when  he  heard  a 
voice,  under  the  brocade  which  covered  Abou  Hassan,  say, 
"Commander  of  the  Faithful,  I  died  first;  give  me  the  thousand 
pieces  of  gold."  And  at  the  same  time  Abou  Hassan,  freeing 
himself  from  the  brocade  which  covered  him,  threw  himself  at 
the  caliph's  feet.  His  wife  uncovered  herself  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  ran  to  throw  herself  at  the  feet  of  Zobeide.  Zobeide 
set  up  a  loud  cry  of  fright  and  alarm.  At  last  recovering  herself, 
she  was  overjoyed  at  seeing  her  Nouzatalfuad  alive. 

The  caliph  laughed  until  he  was  almost  senseless,  and  then  he 
said,  "O  Abou  Hassan,  thou  hast  not  ceased  to  be  a  wag,  and 
to  do  wonders  and  strange  acts. "  "Commander  of  the  Faith- 
ful," replied  Abou  Hassan,  "I  will  tell  you  the  whole  truth. 
I  and  the  wife  you  gave  me  have  been  too  extravagant  in  our 
entertainments  to  our  friends,  and  we  have  spent  all  the  money 
which  your  kindness  supplied  us  with.  This  morning  we  found 
our  purses  quite  empty,  and  knowing  your  Highness' s  fondness 
for  a  pleasant  joke,  we  invented  this  plan  to  supply  our  need. 
We  humbly  beg  you  will  forgive  us. ' ' 

The  caliph  and  Zobeide  were  very  well  satisfied  with  the  explana- 
tion of  Abou  Hassan,  and  they  forgave  him  the  deception  prac- 
ticed on  them.  "Follow  me,  both  of  you,"  said  the  caliph;  "I 
will  give  you  the  thousand  pieces  of  gold  that  I  promised  you,  for 
the  joy  I  feel  that  neither  of  you  is  dead."  "Commander  of 
the  Faithful,"  said  Zobeide,  "  content  yourself  with  causing  the 
thousand  pieces  of  gold  to  be  given  to  Abou  Hassan.  As  to  his 
wife,  that  is  my  business. ' '  Then  she  gave  a  thousand  pieces  of 


H5 

gold  to  Nouzatalfuad  in  proof  of  the  joy  she  felt  that  she  was 
still  alive. 

Thus  did  Abou  Hassan  and  Nouzatalfuad  gain  the  friendship 
and  favor  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid  and  of  Zobeide,  and 
the  caliph  gave  Abou  Hassan  an  ample  salary,  enough  for  all  his 
wants,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  prosperous  and  happy  the 
remainder  of  their  lives. 


STORY  OF  ALADDIN  AND  THE  WONDERFUL  LAMP. 

In  one  of  the  large  cities  of  China  there  once  lived  a  tailor, 
framed  Muslapha.  He  was  very  poor.  He  could  hardly,  by  his 
daily  labor,  support  himself  and  his  wife  and  son.  This  son,  who 
was  called  Aladdin,  was  a  very  careless  and  idle  fellow.  He  was 
disobedient  to  his  father  and  mother,  and  would  go  out  early  in 
the  morning,  and  stay  out  all  day,  playing  in  the  streets  with  idle 
children  of  his  own  age.  When  he  was  old  enough  to  learn  a 
trade,  his  father  took  him  into  his  own  shop,  and  taught  him  how 
to  use  the  needle,  but  all  his  efforts  to  keep  the  boy  at  work  were 
useless,  for  no  sooner  was  his  back  turned  than  Aladdin  was  gone 
for  the  day.  His  son's  idleness  so  much  troubled  Mustapha  that 
at  last  he  fell  sick  and  died. 

Aladdin  now  gave  himself  entirely  over  to  his  idle  habits.  He 
was  never  out  of  the  streets.  One  day  as  he  was  playing  with  his 
idle  companions,  a  stranger,  passing  by,  stood  to  observe  him. 
This  stranger  was  an  African  magician.  After  looking  at  Aladdin 
for  some  time,  he  inquired  of  his  playmates  who  he  was,  and 
when  he  had  learned  all  he  wanted  to  know,  he  went  up  to  him,  and, 
taking  him  aside  from  his  comrades,  said,  "Child,  was  not  your 
father  called  Mustapha  the  tailor?"  "Yes,  sir,"  answered  the 
boy,  "  but  he  has  been  dead  a  long  time."  At  these  words  the 
African  magician  threw  his  arms  about  Aladdin's  neck,  and 
kissed  him  several  times,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  said,  "I  am 
your  uncle.  Your  father  was  my  brother.  I  knew  you  at  first 

ARABIAN   MGHTS — IO 


146 

sight,  you  are  so  like  him."  Then  he  gave  Aladdin  a  handful  of 
money,  saying,  "Go,  my  boy,  to  your  mother,  give  my  love  to 
her,  and  tell  her  that  I  will  visit  her  to-morrow,  that  I  may  see 
where  my  good  brother  lived  so  long,  and  ended  his  days. ' ' 

Aladdin  ran  to  his  mother,  overjoyed  at  getting  the  money. 
"  Mother,"  said  he,  "have  I  an  uncle?"  "No,  child,"  replied 
his  mother,  "you  have  no  uncle  by  your  father's  side  or  mine." 
"I  have  just  now  come,"  said  Aladdin,  "  from  a  man  who  says 
he  is  my  uncle  and  my  father's  brother.  He  cried  and  kissed 
me  when  I  told  him  my  father  was  dead,  and  gave  me  money, 
sending  his  love  to  you,  and  promising  to  come  and  pay  you  a 
visit,  that  he  may  see  the  house  my  father  lived  and  died  in." 
"Indeed,  child,"  replied  the  mother,  "your  father  had  no 
brother,  nor  have  you  an  uncle. ' ' 

The  next  day  the  magician  paid  a  visit  to  Aladdin's  mother, 
and  he  sat  down  and  began  to  talk  with  her.  "My  good  sister," 
said  he,  "do  not  be  surprised  at  your  never  having  seen  me  all 
the  time  you  have  been  married  to  my  brother  Mustapha.  I  have 
been  forty  years  absent  from  this  country,  which  is  my  native 
place,  and  during  that  time  have  traveled  in  the  Indies,  Persia, 
Arabia,  Syria,  and  Egypt,  and  afterwards  crossed  over  into  Africa, 
where  I  took  up  my  abode.  At  last,  as  is  natural  for  a  man,  I 
wished  to  see  my  native  country  again,  and  my  dear  brother,  and 
finding  I  had  strength  enough  to  undertake  so  long  a  journey,  I 
made  the  necessary  preparations,  and  set  out.  Nothing  ever 
grieved  me  so  much  as  hearing  of  my  brother's  death." 

The  magician,  seeing  that  the  widow  wept  at  the  remembrance 
of  her  husband,  changed  the  conversation,  and,  turning  towards 
her  son,  asked  him,  "What  business  do  you  follow  ?  Are  you  of 
any  trade  ?  "  At  this  question  the  youth  hung  down  his  head, 
and  his  mother  answered,  "Aladdin  is  an  idle  fellow.  His 
father,  when  alive,  strove  all  he  could  to  teach  him  his  trade, 
but  could  not  succeed,  and  since  his  death,  he  does  nothing  but 
idle  away  his  time  in  the  streets,  as  you  saw  him." 

After  these  words  she  burst  into  tears,  and  the  magician  said, 


147 

"  This  is  not  well,  nephew,  you  must  think  of  helping  yourself, 
and  getting  your  livelihood.  There  are  many  sorts  of  trades; 
perhaps  you  do  not  like  your  father's,  and  would  prefer  another; 
I  will  endeavor  to  help  you.  If  you  have  no  mind  to  learn  a 
trade,  I  will  take  a  shop  for  you,  furnish  it  with  all  sorts  of  fine 
stuffs  and  linens,  and  then  with  the  money  you  make  of  them  you 
can  lay  in  fresh  goods,  and  live  in  an  honorable  way. ' ' 

The  widow,  after  his  promises  of  kindness  to  her  son,  no 
longer  doubted  that  the  magician  was  her  husband's  brother. 
She  thanked  him  for  his  good  intentions,  and  after  having  ad- 
vised Aladdin  to  make  himself  worthy  of  his  uncle's  favor',  she 
served  up  supper,  at  which  they  talked  of  several  matters.  Soon 
afterwards  the  magician  took  his  leave. 

Early  next  morning  he  called  again,  and  said  he  would  take 
Aladdin  to  spend  that  day  in  the  country,  and  on  the  next  he 
would  purchase  the  shop.  He  then  led  him  out  at  one  of  the 
gates  of  the  city,  to  some  magnificent  palaces,  near  each  of 
which  were  beautiful  gardens.  At  every  building  he  came  to,  he 
asked  Aladdin  if  he  did  not  think  it  fine,  and  the  youth  answered, 
crying  out,  "Here  is  a  finer  house,  uncle,  than  any  we  have  yet 
seen."  In  this  manner  the  cunning  magician  led  Aladdin  into 
the  country  until  they  came  to  a  place  between  two  mountains 
divided  by  a  narrow  valley.  "We  will  go  no  farther  now,"  said 
the  magician  to  Aladdin.  'VI  will  show  you  here  some  extraordi- 
nary things,  but  I  must  strike  a  light,  and  while  I  do  so,  do  you 
gather  all  the  loose  dry  sticks  you  can  see,  to  kindle  a  fire 
with." 

Aladdin  found  so  many  dried  sticks  that  he  soon  collected  a 
great  heap.  The  magician  then  set  them  on  fire,  and  when  they 
were  in  a  blaze,  he  threw  in  some  perfume,  at  the  same  time 
uttering  several  magical  words  which  Aladdin  did  not  understand. 
He  had  scarcely  done  so  when  the  earth  opened  just  before  the 
magician,  and  they  saw  a  stone  with  a  brass  ring  fixed  in  it. 
Aladdin  was  so  frightened  that  he  would  have  run  away,  but  the 
magician  caught  hold  of  him,  and  told  him  that  under  the  stone 


148 

was  a  treasure  which  would  be  his.  "No  person  but  yourself," 
said  he,  "is  permitted  to  lift  this  stone,  or  enter  the  cave;  so 
you  must  do  what  I  command,  for  it  is  a  matter  of  great  impor- 
tance to  you  and  me."  "Well,  uncle,  what  is  to  be  done  ?"  said 
Aladdin;  "command  me,  I  am  ready  to  obey."  "Take  hold 
of  the  ring,  and  lift  up  that  stone,"  said  the  magician.  "In- 
deed, uncle,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  I  am  not  strong  enough;  you 
must  help  me. ' '  "You  have  no  need  for  help, ' '  answered  the  ma- 
gician; "if  I  help  you  we  shall  not  get  the  treasure.  Take  hold 
of  the  ring,  and  lift  it  up;  you  will  find  it  will  come  easily." 
Aladdin  did  as  the  magician  bade  him,  raised  the  stone  with  ease, 
and  laid  it  on  one  side. 

When  the  stone  was  pulled  up,  there  appeared  a  staircase  about 
three  or  four  feet  deep,  leading  to  a  door.  "Descend  these  steps, 
my  son,"  said  the  magician,  "and  open  that  door.  It  will  lead 
you  into  a  palace,  divided  into  three  great  halls.  In  each  of 
these  you  will  see  four  large  brass  cisterns  full  of  gold  and  silver, 
but  take  care  you  do  not  meddle  with  them.  Before  you  enter 
the  first  hall,  be  sure  to  tuck  up  your  robe,  wrap  it  about  you, 
and  then  pass  through  the  second  into  the  third  without  stopping. 
Above  all  things,  have  a._  care  that  you  do  not  touch  the  walls,  so 
much  as  with  your  clothes,  for  if  you  do,  you  will  die  instantly. 
At  the  end  of  the  third  hall,  you  will  find  a  door  which  opens 
into  a  garden,  planted  with  fine  trees  loaded  with  fruit.  Walk 
directly  across  the  garden  to  a  terrace,  where  you  will  see  a  niche 
before  you,  and  in  that  niche  a  lighted  lamp.  Take  the  lamp 
down  and  put  it  out.  When  you  have  thrown  away  the  wick  and 
poured  out  the  oil,  put  it  in  your  waistband  and  bring  it  to  me." 
After  these  words  the  magician  drew  a  ring  off  his  finger,  and 
put  it  on  one  of  Aladdin's,  saying,  "It  is  a  charm  which  will  pro- 
tect you  against  all  evil,  so  long  as  you  obey  me.  Go,  therefore, 
boldly,  and  we  shall  both  be  rich  all  our  lives." 

Aladdin  descended  the  steps,  and,  opening  the  door,  found 
the  three  halls  just  as  the  African  magician  had  described.  He 
went  through  them,  crossed  the  garden  without  stopping,  took 


I49 

down  the  lamp  from  the  niche,  and,  after  throwing  out  the  wick 
and  the  oil,  put  it  in  his  waistband.  He  stopped  in  the  garden 
to  observe  the  trees,  which  were  loaded  with  fruit  of  different 
colors.  Some  were  entirely  white,  some  clear  and  transparent  as 
crystal,  some  pale  red,  others  green,  blue,  and  purple,  and  others 
yellow.  The  white  were  pearls,  the  clear  and  transparent,  dia- 
monds, the  red,  rubies,  the  green,  emeralds,  the  blue,  turquoises 
the  purple,  amethysts,  and  the  yellow,  sapphires.  Aladdin, 
though  ignorant  of  their  value,  filled  his  pockets  with  them,  and 
crammed  his  bosom  as  full  as  it  could  hold. 

He  then  returned  through  the  three  halls,  and  soon  arrived  at 
the  mouth  of  the  cave,  where  the  magician  awaited  him.  As 
soon  as  Aladdin  saw  him,  he  cried  out,  "Pray,  uncle,  lend  me 
your  hand,  to  help  me  out."  "Give  me  the  lamp  first,"  replied 
the  magician,  ' '  it  will  be  troublesome  to  you. "  "  Indeed,  uncle, ' ' 
answered  Aladdin,  "I  cannot  now,  but  I  will  as  soon  as  I  am 
up."  The  magician  was  determined  that  he  would  have  the 
lamp  before  he  would  help  him  up,  and  Aladdin,  who  had 
encumbered  himself  with  so  much  fruit  that  he  could  not  well 
get  at  it,  declared  he  could  not  give  it  to  him  till  he  was  out  of 
the  cave.  Angry  at  his  refusal,  the  magician  threw  a  little  in- 
cense into  the  fire,  and  said  two  magical  words.  Then  instantly 
the  stone  which  had  closed  the  mouth  of  the  staircase  moved 
back  into  its  place,  with  the  earth  over  it,  in  the  same  manner  as 
it  lay  at  the  arrival  of  the  magician  and  Aladdin. 

This  proved  to  Aladdin  that  the  man  was  not  his  uncle,  but  one 
who  had  intended  to  do  him  evil.  The  truth  was  that  the  magician 
had  learned  from  his  books  of  magic  the  secret  and  the  value  of 
the  wonderful  lamp,  the  owner  of  which  would  be  made  richer 
than  any  earthly  ruler.  This  was  why  he  came  to  China.  His 
book  of  magic  also  told  him  that  he  must  not  take  the  lamp  him- 
self, but  must  receive  it  from  the  hands  of  another  person.  For 
this  reason  he  employed  young  Aladdin,  and  hoped  to  make  him 
obedient  to  his  word  and  will.  When  he  found  that  his  attempt 
had  failed,  he  set  out  to  return  to  Africa,  but  avoided  the  town, 


ISO 

lest  any  person  who  had  seen  him  leave  in  company  with  Aladdin 
should  make  inquiries  after  the  youth. 

Aladdin,  being  suddenly  enveloped  in  darkness,  cried,  and  called 
out  to  his  uncle  that  he  was  ready  to  give  him  the  lamp,  but  his 
cries  could  not  be  heard.  He  then  descended  to  the  bottom  of 
the  steps  to  get  into  the  palace,  but  the  door,  which  had  been 
opened  by  enchantment,  was  now  shut  by  the  same  means. 
Aladdin  was  now  in  despair.  He  sat  down  on  the  steps  without 
any  hopes  of  ever  seeing  light  again,  and  in  expectation  of  a 
speedy  death.  In  his  great  distress  he  said,  "There  is  no 
strength  or  power  but  in  God;"  and  in  joining  his  hands  to  pray 
he  rubbed  the  ring  which  the  magician  had  put  on  his  finger. 
Immediately  an  enormous  genie  appeared,  and  said,  "What 
wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey  thee.  I  serve  him  who 
possesses  the  ring;  I,  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  ring."  At  an- 
other time  Aladdin  would  have  been  frightened  at  the  sight  of  so 
terrible  a  figure,  but  the  danger  he  was  in  made  him  answer 
without  hesitation,  "Whoever  thou  art,  deliver  me  from  this 
place."  He  had  no  sooner  spoken  these  words  than  he  found 
himself  above  ground,  and  there  was  no  sign  of  opening  or 
disturbance  of  the  earth.  Returning  thanks  to  God,  he  made 
the  best  of  his  way  home.  When  he  got  within  his  mother's 
door,  the  joy  to  see  her  and  his  weakness  for  want  of  food 
made  him  so  faint  that  he  remained  for  a  long  time  as  dead. 
As  soon  as  he  recovered,  he  told  to  his  mother  all  that  had 
happened  to  him,  and  they  were  both  very  angry  at  the  conduct 
of  the  cruel  magician. 

Aladdin  slept  very  soundly  till  late  the  next  morning,  when  the 
first  thing  he  said  to  his  mother  was  that  he  wanted  something 
to  eat,  and  wished  she  would  give  him  his  breakfast.  "Alas! 
child,"  said  she,  "I  have  not  a  bit  of  bread  to  give  you;  but  I 
have  a  little  cotton,  which  I  have  spun;  I  will  go  and  sell  it, 
and  buy  something  for  our  dinner."  "Mother,"  replied  Alad- 
din, "keep  your  cotton  for  another  time,  and  give  me  the  lamp 
I  brought  home  with  me  yesterday.  I  will  go  and  sell  it,  and  the 


money  I  shall  get  for  it  will  buy  us  breakfast  and  dinner,  and 
perhaps  supper,  too." 

Aladdin's  mother  took  the  lamp,  and  said  to  her  son,  "Here 
it  is,  but  it  is  very  dirty;  if  it  was  a  little  cleaner  I  believe  it 
would  bring  something  more."  She  then  took  some  sand  and 
water  to  clean  it,  but  she  had  no  sooner  begun  to  rub  it  than  in 
an  instant  a  genie  of  gigantic  size  appeared  before  her,  and  said 
in  a  loud  voice,  "What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey 
thee  as  thy  slave,  and  the  slave  of  all  those  who  hold  that  lamp 
in  their  hands;  I,  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp." 

Aladdin's  mother  fainted  at  the  sight  of  the  genie,  but  Alad- 
din, who  had  seen  such  a  figure  in  the  cave,  snatched  the  lamp 
out  of  his  mother's  hand,  and  said  to  the  genie  boldly,  "I  am 
hungry;  bring  me  something  to  eat."  The  genie  disappeared 
immediately,  and  in  an  instant  returned  with  a  large  silver  tray, 
holding  twelve  covered  dishes  of  the  same  metal,  which  contained 
the  most  delicious  food,  six  large  white  bread  cakes  on  two  plates, 
and  many  other  good  things  to  eat  and  drink.  All  these  the  genie 
placed  upon  a  carpet,  and  then  disappeared. 

When  Aladdin's  mother  recovered  from  her  swoon  she  was 
much  surprised  at  seeing  the  tray  and  all  it  contained.  "Child," 
said  she,  "who  has  sent  these  things?"  "It  is  no  matter, 
mother,"  answered  Aladdin,  "let  us  sit  down  and  eat;  when  we 
have  done,  I  will  tell  you."  Accordingly,  both  mother  and  son 
sat  down,  and  ate  with  the  better  relish  as  the  table  was  so  well 
furnished.  After  their  meal  was  finished,  Aladdin  told  his 
mother  what  had  happened.  On  learning  that  the  rubbing  of 
the  lamp  had  caused  the  genie  to  appear,  she  advised  her  son 
never  to  touch  it  again.  "Take  it  out  of  my  sight,"  said  she, 
"and  put  it  where  you  please.  I  had  rather  you  would  sell  it 
than  run  the  risk  of  being  frightened  to  death  again  by  touching 
it.  If  you  take  my  advice  you  will  part  with  the  ring  also,  and 
not  have  anything  to  do  with  genies,  who,  as  our  prophet  has 
told  us,  are  only  devils." 

' '  Mother, ' '  replied  Aladdin,  ' '  the  lamp  may  be  useful  to  you 


152 

and  me.  That  wicked  magician  would  not  have  made  so  long  a 
journey  to  get  this  wonderful  lamp  if  it  were  not  of  great  value. 
And  since  we  have  honestly  come  by  it,  let  us  make  good  use  of 
it,  without  any  great  show,  or  causing  envy  and  jealousy  among 
our  neighbors.  But  as  genies  frighten  you  so  much,  I  will  take 
the  lamp  out  of  your  sight,  and  put  it  where  I  may  find  it  when 
.  I  want  it.  The  ring  I  cannot  part  with,  for  without  that  you 
never  would  have  seen  me  again."  Aladdin's  mother  replied 
that  he  might  do  what  he  pleased;  for  her  part,  she  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  genies,  and  would  never  say  anything  more 
about  them.  ^ 

By  the  next  night  they  had  eaten  all  the  provisions  the  genie 
had  brought,  and  the  following  morning  Aladdin,  putting  one  of 
the  silver  dishes  under  his  vest,  went  out  to  sell  it.  The  mer- 
chant to  whom  he  brought  it  examined  the  dish,  and,  as  soon  as 
he  found  that  it  was  good  silver,  asked  Aladdin  how  much  he 
wanted  for  it.  Aladdin,  who  had  never  been  used  to  such  traffic, 
told  him  he  would  trust  to  his  honor.  The  merchant  took  a 
piece  of  gold  out  of  his  purse  and  gave  it  to  him.  Though  it 
was  but  the  sixtieth  part  of  the  worth  of  the  plate,  Aladdin  was 
glad  to  get  it.  On  his  way  home  he  called  at  a  baker's,  bought 
some  bread,  changed  his  money,  and  on  his  return  gave  the  rest 
to  his  mother,  who  went  and  purchased  provisions  enough  to  last 
them  some  time.  In  this  way  they  lived,  till  Aladdin  had  sold 
the  twelve  dishes. 

When  all  the  money  was  spent  Aladdin  again  took  out  the  lamp 
and  rubbed  it  as  before.  The  genie  immediately  appeared,  and 
said,  "What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey  thee  as  thy 
slave,  and  the  slave  of  all  those  who  hold  that  lamp  in  their 
hands;  I,  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp."  "I  am  hungry," 
said  Aladdin;  "bring  me  something  to  eat."  The  genie  disap- 
peared, and,  instantly  returning  with  a  tray  containing  the  same 
number  of  covered  dishes  as  before,  set  them  down  and  again 
vanished.  When  this  new  supply  of  provisions  was  consumed, 
Aladdin  sold  the  dishes,  and  in  this  way  he  and  his  mother  con- 


Drawn  by  A.  I.  Keller. 


ALADDIN  SUMMONS  THE  GENIE. 


(153) 


154 

tinned  to  live  until  an  event  occurred  which  brought  about  a  very 
great  change  in  their  situation. 

One  day  as  Aladdin  was  walking  about  the  town,  he  heard  a 
public  crier  commanding  the  people  to  shut  up  their  shops  and 
houses,  and  keep  within  doors,  while  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Bud- 
door,  the  sultan's  daughter,  went  to  the  bath  and  returned. 
Aladdin  felt  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  princess,  who  was  a  lady 
of  great  beauty.  He  therefore  concealed  himself  behind  the 
door  of  the  bath,  and  the  princess,  as  she  passed  in,  took  off  her 
veil,  thus  giving  him  an  opportunity  of  having  a  full  view  of  her 
face.  The  moment  he  saw  her  he  fell  deeply  in  love  with  her, 
and  as  soon  as  she  entered  the  bath,  he  quitted  his  hiding  place 
and  went  home.  His  mother,  seeing  that  he  was  more  thought- 
ful than  usual,  asked  if  anything  had  happened,  or  if  he  was  ill. 
He  then  told  her  his  adventure,  and  declared  that  he  was  re- 
solved to  ask  the  sultan  to  give  the  princess  to  him  in  marriage. 

Aladdin's  mother  listened  with  surprise  and  anxiety  to  what  her 
son  told  her.  "Alas,  child,"  said  she,  "what  are  you  thinking 
of  ?  You  must  be  mad  to  talk  thus."  "I  assure  you,  mother," 
replied  Aladdin,  "I  am  not  mad,  but  in  my  right  senses.  I  am 
resolved  to  demand  the  princess  in  marriage,  and  I  do  not  de- 
spair of  success.  I  have  the  slaves  of  the  lamp  and  of  the  ring 
to  help  me,  and  you  know  how  powerful  they  are.  And  I  have 
to  tell  you  that  those  stones  which  I  got  from  the  trees  in  the 
gardens  of  the  underground  palace,  are  jewels  of  immense  value, 
and  fit  for  the  greatest  monarchs.  None  of  the  precious  stones 
the  jewelers  of  Bagdad  have  are  to  be  compared  to  mine  for  size 
and  beauty.  I  am  sure  that  the  offer  of  them  will  secure  the 
favor  of  the  sultan,  and  it  is  you  who  must  carry  them  to  him  as 
a  present  from  me.  You  have  a  large  porcelain  dish  fit  to  hold 
them;  fetch  it,  and  let  us  see  how  they  will  look,  when  we  have 
arranged  them  according  to  their  different  colors." 

When  the  dish  was  brought  and  the  jewels  placed  in  it, 
their  richness  and  "brightness  and  beauty  dazzled  the  eyes  of 
mother  and  son.  Encouraged  by  the  sight  of  them,  the  mother 


155 

consented  to  go  early  next  morning  to  the  palace  of  the  sultan. 
Aladdin  rose  before  daybreak,  awakened  his  mother,  and  urged 
her  to  set  out  at  once,  so  as  to  get  admittance,  if  possible,  before 
the  grand  vizier  and  the  great  officers  of  state  went  in  to  take 
their  seats  in  the  divan,  where  the  sultan  always  attended  in 
person. 

She  made  haste  accordingly,  taking  with  her  the  china  dish,  in 
which  they  had  put  the  jewels  wrapped  in  two  fine  napkins. 
When  she  came  to  the  gates,  the  grand  vizier  and  lords  of  the 
court  were  just  gone  in,  but  notwithstanding  that  the  crowd  of 
people  was  great,  she  got  into  the  divan,  a  spacious  hall,  the  en- 
trance to  which  was  very  magnificent.  She  placed  herself  just 
before  the  sultan,  and  the  great  lords,  who  sat  in  council,  on  his 
right  and  left  hand.  Several  important  matters  were  attended 
to,  according  to  their  order,  until  the  time  the  divan  generally 
broke  up,  when  the  sultan,  rising,  returned  to  his  apartment, 
accompanied  by  the  grand  vizier.  The  other  viziers  and  minis- 
ters of  state  then  retired,  as  also  did  all  those  whose  business  had 
called  them  thither. 

Aladdin's  mother,  seeing  the  sultan  retire,  and  all  the  people 
depart,  resolved  to  go  home,  and  on  her  arrival  said,  with  much 
simplicity,  "Son,  I  have  seen  the  sultan,  and  I  am  certain  that 
he  has  seen  me  too,  for  I  placed  myself  just  before  him;  but  he 
was  so  much  taken  up  with  those  who  attended  on  all  sides  of 
him  that  I  pitied  him,  and  wondered  at  his  patience.  At  last  I 
believe  he  was  heartily  tired,  for  he  rose  up  suddenly,  and  would 
not  hear  a  great  many  who  were  r&SKy  to  speftk  to  him,  but  went 
away,  at  which  I  was  well  pleased,  for  indeed  I  was  fatigued 
with  staying  so  long.  But  there  is  no  harm  done;  I  will  go  again 
to-morrow ;  perhaps  the  sultan  may  not  be  so  busy. ' ' 

The  next  morning  she  went  to  the  palace  as  early  as  the 
day  before,  but  she  found  the  gates  of  the  divan  shut.  She 
went  six  times  afterwards  and  placed  herself  always  directly  be- 
fore the  sultan,  but  with  as  little  success  as  on  the  first  morning. 
On  the  sixth  day,  however,  after  the  divan  broke  up,  when  the 


1 56 

sultan  returned  to  his  own  apartment,  he  said  to  his  grand  vizier, 
"I  have  for  some  time  noticed  a  woman,  who  attends  every  day, 
with  something  wrapped  up  in  a  napkin;  she  always  stands  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  audience,  and  tries  to  place  her- 
self just  before  me.  If  this  woman  comes  to  our  next  audience, 
do  not  fail  to  call  her,  that  I  may  hear  what  she  has  to  say." 

On  the  next  audience  day,  when  Aladdin's  mother  went  to  the 
divan,  and  placed  herself  in  front  of  the  sultan  as  usual,  the 
grand  vizier  immediately  called  an  attendant,  and,  pointing  to 
her,  bade  him  bring  her  before  the  sultan.  The  old  woman, 
when  she  reached  the  sultan,  bowed  her  head  down  to  the  carpet 
which  covered  the  platform  of  the  throne,  and  remained  so  till 
he  bade  her  rise,  and  when  she  had  done  so,  he  said  to  her, 
"Good  woman,  I  have  seen  you  stand  many  days,  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  rising  of  the  divan;  what  business  brings  you  here  ?  " 

After  these  words,  Aladdin's  mother  bowed  down  a  second 
time,  and  when  she  arose,  she  said,  "  King  of  kings,  I  beg  of 
you  to  pardon  the  boldness  of  my  request,  and  to  assure  me  that 
you  will  not  be  offended."  "Well,"  replied  the  sultan,  "I  will 
forgive  you,  be  it  what  it  may,"  and  no  hurt  shall  come  to  you  ; 
speak  boldly."  She  then  told  him  the  errand  on  which  her  son 
had  sent  her,  and  the  event  which  led  to  his  making  so  bold  a 
request  in  spite  of  her  advice.  The  sultan  listened,  without  show- 
ing the  least  anger,  but,  before  he  gave  her  an  answer,  asked 
what  she  had  in  the  napkin.  She  took  the  china  dish  which  she 
had  set  down  at  the  foot  of  the  throne,  untied  it,  and  presented 
it  to  the  sultan. 

Great  were  his  amazement  and  surprise  when  he  saw  so  many 
large  and  valuable  jewels.  He  remained  for  some  time  lost  in 
admiration.  At  last,  when  he  had  recovered  himself,  he  received 
the  present  from  her  hand,  saying,  "How  rich!  how  beautiful!" 
After  he  had  admired  and  handled  them,  one  after  another,  he 
turned  to  his  grand  vizier,  and,  showing  him  the  dish,  said,  "Be- 
hold !  admire !  wonder  !  and  confess  that  your  eyes  never  beheld 
such  jewels  before."  The  vizier  was  charmed.  "Well,"  con- 


157 

tinued  the  sultan,  "what  sayest  thou  to  such  a  present  ?  Is  it  not 
worthy  of  the  princess  my  daughter  ?  And  ought  I  not  to  bestow 
her  on  one  who  values  her  at  so  great  a  price  ?"  "I  own,"  re- 
plied the  grand  vizier,  "that  the  present  is  worthy  of  the  prin- 
cess, but  I  beg  your  Majesty  to  grant  me  three  months  before 
you  finally  decide.  I  hope  that  before  that  time  my  son  will  be 
able  to  make  a  nobler  present  than  this  Aladdin,  who  is  an  entire 
stranger  to  your  Majesty."  The  sultan  granted  his  request,  and 
he  said  to  the  old  woman,  "Good  woman,  go  home,  and  tell  your 
son  that  I  cannot  permit  my  daughter  to  marry  for  three  months. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  come  again."  Aladdin's  mother 
returned  home  much  more  pleased  than  she  had  expected  to  be, 
and  told  her  son  with  joy  the  answer  she  had  received  from  the 
sultan's  own  mouth. 

On  the  very  day  that  the  three  months  ended,  the  mother  of 
Aladdin  again  went  to  the  palace,  and  stood  in  the  same  place  in 
the  divan.  The  sultan  knew  her  at  once,  and  ordered  his  vizier 
to  bring  her  up  to  him.  The  vizier  at  once  did  so.  After  bow- 
ing down  before  the  sultan,  Aladdin's  mother  said,  "Sire,  I  come 
at  the  end  of  the  three  months  to  ask  of  you  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promise  you  made  to  my  son."  The  sultan  little  thought 
that  the  request  of  Aladdin  had  been  made  in  earnest,  or  that  he 
would  hear  any  more  of  the  matter.  He,  therefore,  did  not 
know  what  answer  to  give  to  Aladdin's  mother.  But  his  vizier 
advised  him  to  ask  Aladdin  to  do  something  which  he  thought  it 
was  impossible  for  him  to  do.  The  sultan  then  said  to  Aladdin's 
mother,  "Good  woman,  it  is  true  that  sultans  ought  to  keep  their 
word,  and  I  am  ready  to  keep  mine  by  making  your  son  happy 
in  marriage  with-  the  princess,  my  daughter ;  but  I  cannot  do  so 
without  some  further  proof  that  your  son  is  able  to  support  her 
in  royal  state.  You  may  tell  him,  therefore,  that  I  will  fulfill  my 
promise  as  soon  as  he  shall  send  me  forty  gold  trays,  full  of  the 
same  sort  of  jewels  you  have  made  me  a  present  of,  and  carried 
by  forty  black  slaves,  led  by  the  same  number  of  young  and 
handsome  white  slaves,  all  dressed  magnificently.  When  he  does 


158 

this,  I  shall  bestow  the  princess,  my  daughter,  upon  him.  Go  and 
tell  him  so,  and  I  will  wait  till  you  bring  me  his  answer. ' ' 

Aladdin's  mother  bowed  down  before  the  sultan's  throne,  and 
retired.  On  her  way  home,  she  laughed  within  herself  at  her 
son's  foolish  hope.  "Where,"  said  she,  "can  he  get  so  many 
large  gold  trays,  and  such  precious  stones  to  fill  them  ?  It  is  out 
of  his  power." 

When  she  came  home  she  told  Aladdin  the  conditions  on  which 
the  sultan  consented  to  the  marriage.  ' '  He  expects  your  answer 
immediately,"  said  she;  and  then  she  added,  laughing,  "I  be- 
lieve he  may  wait  long  enough!  "  "Not  so  long,  mother,  as  you 
think,"  replied  Aladdin.  "This  demand  is  a  mere  trifle,  and 
will  be  no  hindrance  to  my  marriage  with  the  princess.  I  will 
prepare  at  once  to  satisfy  his  request." 

Aladdin  then  retired  to  his  own  apartment,  summoned  the 
genie  of  the  lamp,  and  ordered  him  to  immediately  prepare  the 
gift,  before  the  sultan  closed  his  morning  audience.  The  genie 
vanished,  and  in  a  very  short  time,  a  train  of  forty  black  slaves, 
led  by  the  same  number  of  white  slaves,  appeared  opposite  the 
house  in  which  Aladdin  lived.  Each  black  slave  carried  on  his 
head  a  gold  basin,  full  of  pearls,  diamonds,  rubies,  and  emer- 
alds. Aladdin  then  said  to  his  mother,  "  Pray  lose  no  time. 
Before  the  sultan  and  the  divan  rise,  I  would  have  you  return  to 
the  palace  with  this  present  for  the  princess. ' ' 

As  soon  as  the  magnificent  procession,  with  Aladdin's  mother 
at  its  head,  began  to  march  from  Aladdin's  house,  the  whole  city 
was  filled  with  crowds  of  people  eager  to  see  so  grand  a  sight. 
The  graceful  bearing  and  elegant  form  of  the  slaves,  their  grave 
walk  at  equal  distance  from  one  another,  the  luster  of  their 
jeweled  girdles,  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  precious  stones  in  their 
turbans,  excited  the  greatest  admiration  in  the  spectators. 
Nothing  so  beautiful  was  ever  seen  in  the  sultan's  palace,  and 
the  richest  robes  of  the  lords  of  his  court  were  not  to  be  com- 
pared to  the  costly  dresses  of  these  slaves. 

As  the  sultan,  who  had  been  informed  of  their  approach,  had 


159 

given  orders  for  them  to  be  admitted,  they  met  with  no  obsta- 
cle, but  went  into  the  divan  in  regular  order,  one  part  turning  to 
the  right,  and  the  other  to  the  left.  After  they  had  all  entered,  and 
formed  a  semicircle  before  the  sultan's  throne,  the  black  slaves 
laid  the  golden  trays  on  the  carpet.  They  then  bowed  them- 
selves down,  touching  the  carpet  with  their  foreheads,  and  the 
white  slaves  did  the  same.  When  they  rose,  the  black  slaves 
uncovered  the  trays,  and  all  stood  with  their  arms  crossed  over 
their  breasts.  Aladdin's  mother  then  advanced  to  the  foot  of 
the  throne,  and  said  to  the  sultan,  ''Sire,  my  son  knows  this 
present  is  much  below  the  notice  of  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor, 
but  he  hopes  that  your  Majesty  will  accept  of  it,  and  make  it 
agreeable  to  the  princess." 

The  sultan,  overpowered  at  the  sight  of  such  magnificence,  re- 
plied to  the  words  of  Aladdin's  mother,  "Go  and  tell  your  son 
that  I  wait  with  open  arms  to  receive  him.  The  more  haste  he 
makes  to  come  and  accept  the  princess  my  daughter  from  my 
hands,  the  greater  pleasure  he  will  do  me."  As  soon  as  Alad- 
din's mother  retired,  the  sultan  rose  from  his  throne,  and  ordered 
that  the  princess's  attendants  should  come  and  carry  the  trays 
into  their  mistress's  apartment,  where  he  went  himself  to  examine 
them  with  her  at  his  leisure.  The  fourscore  slaves  were  con- 
ducted into  the  palace,  and  the  sultan,  telling  the  princess  of 
their  magnificent  apparel,  ordered  them  to  be  brought  before 
her  apartment,  that  she  might  see  that  he  had  not  exaggerated 
in  his  account  of  them. 

In  the  mean  time  Aladdin's  mother  reached  home,  and  showed 
by  her  manner  the  good  news  she  brought.  ' '  My  son, ' '  said 
she,  "  you  may  rejoice.  The  sultan  has  declared  that  you  shall 
marry  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor.  He  waits  for  you  with 
impatience." 

Aladdin,  delighted  with  this  good  news,  retired  to  his  chamber. 
There  he  nibbed  his  lamp,  and  the  genie  appeared.  ' '  Genie, ' ' 
said  he,  "  convey  me  at  once  to  a  bath,  and  supply  me  with  the 
richest  and  most  magnificent  robe  ever  worn  by  a  monarch." 


i6o 

No  sooner  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth  than  the  genie  trans- 
ported him  to  a  bath  of  the  finest  marble  of  all  sorts  of  colors, 
where  he  was  undressed,  without  seeing  by  whom,  in  a  magnifi- 
cent and  spacious  hall.  He  was  then  well  rubbed  and  washed 
with  various  scented  waters.  After  he  had  passed  through  sev- 
eral degrees  of  heat,  he  came  out  quite  a  different  man  from  what 
he  was  before.  His  skin  was  clear  as  that  of  a  child,  and  when 
he  returned  to  the  hall,  he  found,  instead  of  his  own  poor 
clothes,  a  suit,  the  magnificence  of  which  astonished  him.  The 
genie  helped  him  to  dress,  and  carried  him  back  to  his  own 
chamber,  where  he  asked  him  if  he  had  any  other  commands. 
"  Yes,"  answered  Aladdin,  "  bring  me  a  horse  that  surpasses  in 
beauty  the  best  in  the  sultan's  stables,  with  a  saddle,  bridle,  and 
other  trappings  to  correspond.  Bring  me  also  twenty  slaves,  to 
walk  by  my  side  and  follow  me,  and  twenty  more  to  go  before 
me  in  two  ranks,  all  as  richly  dressed  as  those  who  carried  the 
present  to  the  sultan.  Besides  these,  bring  my  mother  six 
women  slaves  to  attend  her,  as  richly  dressed  as  any  of  the  Prin- 
cess Buddir  al  Buddoor's,  each  carrying  a  complete  dress  fit  for 
any  princess.  I  want  also  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold  in  ten 
purses;  go,  and  make  haste." 

As  soon  as  Aladdin  gave  these  orders,  the  genie  disappeared, 
but  immediately  returned  with  the  horse,  the  forty  slaves,  ten 
carrying  each  a  purse  of  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  six 
women  slaves,  each  carrying  on  her  head  a  dress  for  Aladdin's 
mother,  wrapt  in  silver  tissue.  Aladdin  presented  the  six  women 
slaves  to  his  mother,  telling  her  they  were  her  slaves,  and  that 
the  dresses  they  brought  were  for  her  use.  Of  the  ten  purses, 
he  took  four,  which  he  gave  to  his  mother,  telling  her  those  were 
to  supply  her  with  necessaries.  The  other  six  he  left  in  the 
hands  of  the  slaves  who  brought  them,  with  an  order  to  scatter 
the  gold  pieces  among  the  peopb  as  they  went  to  the  sultan's 
palace. 

Then,  mounting  his  charger,  Aladdin  began  his  march,  and 
though  he  never  was  on  horseback  before,  he  appeared  with  a 


grace  the  most  experienced  horseman  might  envy.  The  vast 
concourse  of  people  through  whom  he  passed  made  the  air  echo 
with  their  cheers,  especially  every  time  the  six  slaves  who  carried 
the  purses  threw  handfuls  of  gold  among  them. 

On  Aladdin's  arrival  at  the  palace,  the  sultan  was  surprised  to 
find  him  more  magnificently  robed  than  he  himself  had  ever 
been.  He  was  also  surprised  at  his  good  looks  and  elegant  man- 
ner, which  were  so  different  from  what  he  expected  in  the  son  of 
one  so  humble  as  Aladdin's  mother.  He  received  him  with  joy, 
and  when  Aladdin  would  have  knelt  at  his  feet  the  sultan  held 
him  by  the  hand,  and  made  him  sit  near  his  throne.  He  shortly 
after  led  him,  amidst  the  sounds  of  trumpets,  and  all  kinds  of 
music,  to  a  magnificent  entertainment.  The  sultan  and  Aladdin 
ate  by  themselves,  and  the  great  lords  of  the  court,  according  to 
their  rank  and  dignity,  sat  at  different  tables.  After  the  feast, 
the -sultan  sent  for  the  chief  judge,  and  commanded  him  to  draw 
up  a  contract  of  marriage  between  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Bud- 
door  and  Aladdin.  When  the  contract  was  drawn,  the  sultan 
asked  Aladdin  if  he  would  stay  in  the  palace  and  have  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  performed  that  day.  "  Sire,"  said  Aladdin, 
"  I  beg  you  to  permit  me  first  to  build  a  palace  worthy  to  re- 
ceive the  princess  your  daughter.  I  pray  you  to  grant  me  suffi- 
cient ground  near  your  palace,  and  I  will  have  it  completed  with 
the  utmost  speed."  The  sultan  granted  Aladdin's  request,  and 
again  embraced  him,  after  which  Aladdin  took  his  leave  with  as 
much  politeness  as  if  he  had  been  bred  up  and  always  lived  at 
court. 

As  soon  as  he  returned  home,  Aladdin  retired  to  his  chamber, 
took  the  lamp,  and  summoned  the  genie,  who  immediately 
appeared.  "  Genie,"  said  he,  "  build  me  a  palace  fit  to  receive 
the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor.  Let  its  walls  be  gold  and  silver 
bricks  laid  alternately.  Let  each  front  contain  six  windows,  and 
let  the  lattices  of  these  be  enriched  with  diamonds,  rubies,  and 
emeralds,  so  that  they  shall  exceed  everything  of  the  kind  ever 
seen  in  the  world.  Let  there  be  an  inner  and  outer  court  in 

ARABIAN  NIGHTS— II  8  R  A 


1 62 

front  of  the  palace,  and  a  spacious  garden,  but  above  all,  let 
there  be  a  treasure-house,  and  fill  it  with  gold  and  silver.  Let 
there  be  also  kitchens  and  storehouses,  and  stables  full  of  the 
finest  horses,  with  grooms,  attendants,  and  slaves.  Go  and  carry 
out  my  wishes. ' ' 

When  Aladdin  gave  these  commands  to  the  genie,  the  sun  was 
set.  The  next  morning  at  daybreak  the  genie  presented  him- 
self, and  carried  Aladdin  in  a  moment  to  the  palace  he  had  made. 
The  genie  led  him  through  all  the  apartments,  where  he  found 
officers  and  slaves,  dressed  according  to  their  rank  and  the  ser- 
vices they  were  to  perform.  The  genie  then  showed  him  the 
treasury,  which  was  opened  by  a  treasurer.  Here  Aladdin  saw 
large  vessels  of  different  sizes,  piled  up  to  the  top  with  money, 
ranged  all  around  the  chamber.  The  genie  then  led  him  to  the 
stables,  where  there  were  some  of  the  finest  horses  in  the  world, 
and  grooms  busy  in  dressing  them.  They  next  went  to  -the 
storehouses,  which  were  filled  with  all  sorts  of  provisions. 

When  Aladdin  had  examined  every  portion  of  the  palace,  he 
said,  "  Genie,  I  now  want  a  fine  carpet  for  the  princess  to  walk 
upon  from  the  sultan's  palace  to  mine.  Lay  one  down  immedi- 
ately." The  genie  disappeared,  and  what  Aladdin  desired 
was  done  in  an  instant.  The  genie  then  returned,  and  carried 
Aladdin  to  his  own  home. 

When  the  sultan's  porters  came  to  open  the  gates,  they  were 
amazed  to  find  what  had  been  an  unoccupied  garden  filled  up 
with  a  magnificent  palace,  and  a  splendid  carpet  extending  to  it 
all  the  way  from  the  sultan's  palace.  They  told  the  strange 
news  to  the  grand  vizier,  and  soon  it  was  carried  to  the  sultan, 
who  exclaimed,  "  It  must  be  Aladdin's  palace,  which  I  gave  him 
leave  to  build  for  my  daughter.  He  has  wished  to  surprise  us, 
and  let  us  see  what  wonders  can  be  done  in  only  one  night. ' ' 

Aladdin,  on  being  conveyed  by  the  genie  to  his  own  home, 
requested  his  mother  to  go  to  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor, 
and  tell  her  that  the  palace  would  be  ready  for  her  in  the  even- 
ing. She  went,  attended  by  her  women  slaves,  in  the  same  order 


i63 

as  on  the  previous  day.  Shortly  after  her  arrival  at  the  prin- 
cess's apartment,  the  sultan  himself  came  in,  and  was  surprised 
to  find  her,  whom  he  had  known  only  as  a  poor  woman,  now 
more  richly  dressed  than  his  own  daughter.  This  gave  him  a 
higher  opinion  of  Aladdin,  who  took  such  care  of  his  mother, 
and  made  her  share  his  wealth  and  honors.  Shortly  after  his 
mother's  departure,  Aladdin,  mounting  his  horse,  left  his  old  home 
forever,  and  went  to  the  palace  in  the  same  pomp  as  on  the  day 
before.  He  did  not  forget  to  take  with  him  the  wonderful  lamp, 
to  which  he  owed  all  his  good  fortune,  nor  to  wear  the  ring 
which  had  been  of  such  use  to  him.  The  sultan  entertained 
Aladdin  with  the  utmost  magnificence,  and  at  night,  on  the 
conclusion  of  the  marriage  ceremony,  the  princess  took  leave  of 
the  sultan  her  father,  and  went  to  her  own  palace.  Bands  of 
music  led  the  procession,  followed  by  a  hundred  state  ushers, 
and  the  same  number  of  black  slaves,  in  two  files,  with  officers 
at  their  head.  Four  hundred  of  the  sultan's  young  pages  car- 
ried torches  on  each  side,  which,  together  with  the  illuminations 
of  the  sultan's  and  Aladdin's  palaces,  made  the  night  as  bright 
as  day.  In  this  order,  the  princess,  accompanied  by  Aladdin's 
mother,  and  attended  by  her  women  slaves,  proceeded  on  the 
carpet  which  was  spread  from  the  sultan's  palace  to  that  of 
Aladdin.  On  her  arrival  Aladdin  was  ready  to  receive  her  at  the 
entrance,  and  led  her  into  a  large  hall,  lighted  with  a  vast  num- 
ber of  wax  candles.  Here  a  grand  feast  was  served  up.  The 
dishes  were  of  heavy  gold,  the  vases,  basins,  and  goblets  were 
gold  also,  and  of  beautiful  workmanship,  and  all  the  ornaments 
of  the  hall  were  of  like  splendor.  Astonished  to  see  such  mag- 
nificence, and  so  many  costly  things  collected  in  one  place,  the 
princess  said  to  Aladdin,  "  I  thought,  prince,  that  nothing  in  the 
world  was  so  beautiful  as  my  father's  palace,  but  the  sight  of  this 
hall  is  sufficient  to  show  me  that  I  was  mistaken. ' ' 

In  this  magnificent  palace  Aladdin  and  the  princess  lived  for 
many  years  in  great  happiness,  when  the  African  magician,  who 
had  for  a  long  time  dismissed  from  his  mind  all  thought  of  the 


164 

lamp,  at  last  resolved  to  find  out  what  had  become  of  the  tailor's 
son.  He  therefore  made  a  journey  to  the  capital  of  China, 
and  soon  after  his  arrival  there  he  learned  about  the  wealth  of 
the  Prince  Aladdin,  and  the  splendid  palace  in  which  he  lived. 
When  he  saw  the  palace  he  felt  certain  that  it  was  the  genie,  the 
slave  of  the  lamp,  that  had  built  it.  He  then  made  use  of  his 
magic  to  find  where  the  lamp  was, —  whether  Aladdin  carried  it 
about  with  him,  or  kept  it  in  the  palace.  To  his  great  joy 
he  found  that  it  was  somewhere  in  the  palace,  but  his  magic 
could  not  tell  him  in  what  particular  part.  "  Very  good,"  said 
he,  "I  shall  have  the  lamp,  and  I  shall  make  Aladdin  return  to 
his  former  mean  condition. ' ' 

The  next  day  he  learned  from  the  superintendent  of  the  khan, 
or  lodging  house,  where  he  stayed,  that  Aladdin  had  gone  on  a 
hunting  excursion,  which  was  to  last  for  eight  days.  The  magi- 
cian wanted  to  hear  no  more.  He  had  his  plans  formed.  He 
went  to  a  coppersmith,  and  bought  a  dozen  copper  lamps,  hand- 
some and  well  polished.  Putting  them  into  a  basket  which  hung 
on  his  arm,  he  went  towards  Aladdin's  palace.  As  he  came 
near,  he  began  crying,  "New  lamps  for  old  lamps,  who  will 
change  old  lamps  for  new  ones  ?  "  A  crowd  of  children  col- 
lected, and  hooted  at  him,  thinking  him  a  madman  to  offer  new 
lamps  for  old  ones.  The  magician  paid  no  heed  to  their  hooting, 
but  still  continued  crying,  "  Who  will  change  old  lamps  for  new 
ones?"  Ha  repeated  this  so  often,  walking  backwards  and 
forwards  in  front  of  the  palace,  that  the  princess  sent  one  of  her 
women  slaves  to'  know  what  he  cried.  The  slave  returned  laugh- 
ing so  heartily  that  the  princess  rebuked  her.  "  Madam," 
answered  the  slave,  laughing  still,  "  who  can  help  laughing,  to 
see  an  old  man  with  a  basket  on  his  arm,  full  of  fine  lamps,  ask- 
ing to  change  them  for  old  ones  ?  " 

Another  female  slave  hearing  this,  said,  "  Now  you  speak  of 
lamps,  there  is  an  old  one  upon  a  shelf  of  the  Prince  Aladdin's 
dressing  room,  and  whoever  owns  it  will  not  be  sorry  to  find  a  new 
one  in  its  stead.  If  the  princess  chooses,  she  may  have  the  pleas- 


i65 

ure  of  trying  if  this  old  man  is  so  silly  as  to  give  a  new  lamp  for 
an  old  one,  without  taking  anything  for  the  change. ' '  The  prin- 
cess, who  knew  not  the  value  of  this  lamp,  and  the  interest  that 
Aladdin  had  to  keep  it  safe,  commanded  a  slave  to  take  it  and 
make  the  exchange.  The  slave  obeyed,  went  out  of  the  hall, 
and,  calling  the  African  magician,  showed  him  the  old  lamp,  and 
said,  ' '  Give  me  a  new  lamp  for  this. ' '  The  magician  was  quite 
certain  that  it  was  the  lamp  he  wanted.  There  could  be  no  other 
such  in  the  palace,  where  every  utensil  was  of  gold  or  silver. 
He  snatched  it  eagerly  out  of  the  slave's  hand,  and,  thrusting  it 
as  far  as  he  could  into  his  breast,  offered  him  his  basket,  and 
bade  him  choose  which  he  liked  best.  The  slave  picked  out 
one,  and  carried  it  to  the  princess. 

Immediately  the  magician  hastened  down  the  least-frequented 
streets,  and  having  no  more  need  for  his  lamps  or  basket,  he  left 
them  in  a  spot  where  nobody  saw  him.  Then  he  walked  till  he 
came  to  one  of  the  city  gates,  and,  going  through  the  suburbs,  at 
•  length  reached  a  lonely  place,  where  he  stopped  till  it  became 
quite  dark.  Here  he  pulled  the  lamp  out  of  his  breast,  and 
rubbed  it.  Instantly  the  genie  appeared,  and  said,  "  What 
wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey  thee  as  thy  slave,  and 
the  slave  of  all  those  who  hold  that  lamp  in  their  hands;  I,  and 
the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp."  "  I  command  thee,"  replied 
the  magician,  "  to  carry  me  immediately,  and  the  palace  which 
thou  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp  have  built  in  this  city,  with 
all  the  people  in  it,  to  Africa. ' '  The  genie  made  no  reply,  but 
with  the  assistance  of  the  other  genies,  the  slaves  of  the  lamp, 
immediately  conveyed  him  and  the  whole  palace  to  the  spot 
where  he  had  been  ordered  to  carry  it. 

Early  next  morning,  when  the  sultan,  according  to  custom, 
went  to  admire  Aladdin's  palace,  his  amazement  was  great  to  find 
that  it  was  not  to  be  seen.  He  could  not  understand  what 
had  become  of  it,  or  how  so  large  a  palace  could  vanish  so  soon, 
and  not  leave  the  least  trace  behind.  He  ordered  the  grand 
vizier  to  be  sent  for  without  delay. 


1 66 

The  grand  vizier  who,  in  secret,  bore  no  good  will  to  Aladdin, 
gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  palace  had  been  built  by  magic, 
and  that  Aladdin  had  made  his  hunting  excursion  an  excuse  for 
its  removal  with  the  same  suddenness  with  which  it  had  been 
erected.  He  induced  the  sultan  to  send  a  body  of  soldiers, 
and  have  Aladdin  seized  as  a  prisoner. 

On  his  son-in-law  being  brought  before  him,  the  sultan  would 
not  hear  a  word  from  him,  but  ordered  him  to  be  put  to  death. 
But  the  order  caused  so  much  discontent  among  the  people, 
whose  love  Aladdin  had  gained  by  his  charities,  that  the  sultan, 
fearing  a  rebellion,  was  obliged  to  grant  him  his  life.  When 
Aladdin  found  himself  at  liberty,  he  said  to  the  sultan,  "  Sire,  I 
pray  you  to  let  me  know  the  crime  by  which  I  have  lost  your 
favor."  "  Your  crime,"  answered  the  sultan,  "  wretched  man! 
do  you  not  know  it  ?  Follow  me,  and  I  will  show  you. ' '  The 
sultan  then  took  Aladdin  into  the  apartment  from  which  he  was 
accustomed  to  look  at  and  admire  his  palace,  and  said,  "  You 
ought  to  know  where  your  palace  stood;  tell  me  what  has 
become  of  it. ' '  Aladdin,  utterly  amazed  at  the  loss  of  his 
palace,  was  speechless.  At  last  recovering  himself  he  said,  "It 
is  true,  I  do  not  see  the  palace.  It  is  vanished,  but  I  had 
no  hand  in  its  removal.  I  beg  you  to  give  me  forty  days,  and 
if  in  that  time  I  cannot  restore  it,  you  may  punish  me  as  you 
please."  "I  give  you  the  time  you  ask,"  answered  the  sultan, 
"but  at  the  end  of  the  forty  days,  forget  not  to  present  yourself 
before  me." 

Aladdin  went  out  of  the  sultan's  palace  in  great  distress  of  mind. 
For  three  days  he  rambled  about  the  city,  asking  all  whom  he 
met  if  they  had  seen  his  palace,  or  could  tell  him  anything  of  it. 
On  the  third  day  he  wandered  into  the  country,  and  as  he  was 
approaching  a  river,  he  accidentally  stumbled,  and  in  grasping 
at  a  rock  to  save  himself  from  falling,  he  rubbed  his  ring  so  hard 
that  immediately  the  same  genie  appeared  whom  he  had  seen  in 
the  cave  where  the  magician  had  left  him.  "  What  wouldst  thou 
have  ?  ' '  said  the  genie.  ' '  I  am  ready  to  obey  thee  as  thy 


i67     s 

slave,  and  the  slave  of  all  those  that  have  that  ring  on  their 
finger;  I  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  ring." 

Aladdin,  agreeably  surprised  at  an  offer  of  help  so  little  ex- 
pected, replied,  "  Genie,  show  me  where  the  palace  I  caused  to 
be  built  now  stands,  or  carry  it  back  to  where  it  first  stood." 
"  I  cannot  do  all  that  you  have  commanded,"  answered  the 
genie;  "  I  am  the  slave  only  of  the  ring,  and  not  of  the  lamp." 
"  I  command  thee,  then,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  by  the  power  of  the 
ring,  to  carry  me  to  the  spot  where  my  palace  now  stands." 
These  words  were  no  sooner  out  of  his  mouth  than  the  genie 
transported  him  to  Africa,  into  the  midst  of  a  large  plain.  There 
his  palace  stood,  at  no  great  distance  from  a  city,  and  the  genie, 
placing  him  exactly  under  the  window  of  the  princess's  apart- 
ment, left  him. 

Now  it  happened  that  shortly  after  Aladdin  had  been  trans- 
ported by  the  slave  of  the  ring  to  the  neighborhood  of  his  pal- 
ace, one  of  the  attendants  of  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor 
looking  through  the  window,  saw  him  and  instantly  told  her  mis- 
tress. The  princess,  who  could  not  believe  the  joyful  tidings, 
hastened  herself  to  the  window,  and,  seeing  Aladdin,  immediately 
opened  it.  The  noise  of  opening  the  window  made  Aladdin  turn 
his  head  that  way,  and  seeing  the  princess,  he  saluted  her  with 
the  greatest  delight.  "  To  lose  no  time,"  said  she,  "  I  have 
sent  to  have  the  private  door  opened  for  you;  enter,  and  come 
up."  The  door,  which  was  just  under  the  princess's  apartment, 
was  soon  opened,  and  Aladdin  conducted  into  the  chamber.  It 
is  impossible  to  describe  the  happiness  of  both  at  seeing  each 
other.  After  embracing,  and  shedding  tears  of  joy,  they  sat 
down,  and  Aladdin  said,  "  I  beg  of  you,  princess,  to  tell  me 
what  has  become  of  an  old  lamp  which  stood  upon  a  shelf  in  my 
dressing  chamber. ' ' 

"  Alas  !  "  answered  the  princess,  "  I  was  afraid  our  misfor- 
tune might  have  been  owing  to  that  lamp,  and  what  grieves  me 
most  is,  that  I  was  the  cause  of  it.  I  was  foolish  enough  to 
change  the  old  lamp  for  a  new  one,  and  the  next  morning 


1 68 

I  found  myself  in  this  unknown  country,  which  I  am  told  is 
Africa." 

"  Princess,"  said  Aladdin,  "  you  have  explained  all  by  telling 
me  we  are  in  Africa.  I  desire  you  only  to  tell  me  if  you  know 
where  the  old  lamp  is."  "  The  magician  carries  it  carefully 
wrapt  up  in  his  bosom,"  said  the  princess,  "  and  this  I  can 
assure  you,  because  he  pulled  it  out  before  me,  and  showed  it  to 
me  in  triumph."  "  Princess,"  said  Aladdin,  "  I  think  I  have 
found  the  means  to  regain  possession  of  the  lamp,  on  which  all 
my  prosperity  depends.  To  carry  out  my  plan  it  is  necessary  for 
me  to  go  to  the  town.  I  shall  return  by  noon,  and  will  then  tell 
you  what  must  be  done  by  you.  In  the  mean  time,  I  shall  dis- 
guise myself,  and  I  beg  that  the  private  door  may  be  opened  to 
me  at  the  first  knock. " 

When  Aladdin  went  out  of  the  palace,  he  looked  round  him 
on  all  sides,  and  seeing  a  poorly  dressed  man,  hastened  after 
him,  and,  when  he  overtook  him,  begged  him  to  change  clothes, 
which  the  man  agreed  to.  When  they  had  made  the  exchange, 
Aladdin  entered  the  city,  and  going  to  a  drug  store,  bought  a 
small  quantity  of  a  certain  powder.  Then  returning  to  the  pal- 
ace, he  entered  at  once  by  the  private  door.  As  soon  as  he 
came  into  the  princess's  room,  he  said  to  her,  "  Princess,  I  shall 
require  your  help  in  carrying  out  my  plan.  You  must  overcome 
your  dislike  to  the  magician,  and  ask  him  to  oblige  you  by  taking 
luncheon  with  you  in  your  apartments.  Before  he  leaves,  invite 
him  to  exchange  drinks  with  you,  which  he,  pleased  at  the  honor 
you  show  him,  will  gladly  do.  Then  give  him  the  cup  con- 
taining this  powder.  On  drinking  it  he  will  instantly  fall  asleep, 
and  we  will  obtain  the  lamp,  whose  slaves  will  do  all  our  bidding, 
and  restore  us  and  the  palace  to  the  capital  of  China. ' ' 

The  princess  obeyed  her  husband's  instructions.  She  invited 
the  magician  to  an  entertainment  in  her  apartment,  and  she  tried 
all  she  could  to  please  him.  She  asked  him  to  drink  with  her, 
taking  care  to  give  him  the  drugged  cup.  He  drank  it  to  the 
very  last  drop,  when  he  fell  backwards  lifeless  on  the  sofa.  Then 


169 

the  door  was  opened,  and  Aladdin  admitted.  The  princess  rose 
from  her  seat,  and  ran  to  embrace  him,  but  he  stopped  her,  and 
said,  "  Princess,  retire  to  another  apartment,  and  let  me  be  left 
alone,  while  I  endeavor  to  transport  you  back  "to  China  as  speed- 
ily as  you  were  brought  here. ' ' 

When  the  princess,  her  women,  and  slaves  had  gone  out  of  the 
room,  Aladdin  shut  the  door,  and  going  directly  to  the  dead  body 
of  the  magician,  he  opened  his  vest,  took  out  the  lamp  which 
was  carefully  wrapped  up,  and  rubbed  it.  The  genie  immedi- 
ately appeared,  and  then  Aladdin  said,  "  Genie,  I  command 
thee  to  transport  this  palace  instantly  to  the  place  from  which  it 
was  brought  here. ' '  The  genie  bowed  his  head  in  token  of  obe- 
dience, and  disappeared.  Immediately  the  palace  was  trans- 
ported into  China,  and  its  removal  was  felt  only  by  two  little 
shocks,  one  when  it  was  lifted  up,  the  other  when  it  was  set 
down,  and  both  in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 

On  the  morning  after  the  restoration  of  Aladdin's  palace,  the 
sultan  was  looking  out  of  his  window,  and  mourning  over  the  fate 
of  his  daughter,  when  he  thought  he  saw  the  palace  again.  Look- 
ing more  closely  he  was  convinced  that  it  was  his  son-in-law's 
palace  he  saw.  He  at  once  ordered  his  horse  to  be  saddled, 
which  he  mounted  that  instant,  thinking  that  he  could  not  make 
haste  enough  to  the  place. 

Aladdin  rose  that  morning  by  daybreak,  and  dressing  himself 
most  magnificently,  went  up  into  the  hall  of  twenty-four  win- 
dows, from  which  he  saw  the  sultan  approaching.  Hastening 
down,  he  received  him  at  the  foot  of  the  great  staircase  and  led 
him  into  the  princess's  apartment.  The  happy  father  embraced 
her  with  tears  of  joy.  After  an  explanation  of  all  that  had  hap- 
pened, he  restored  Aladdin  to  his  favor,  and  expressed  regret 
for  the  harshness  with  which  he  had  treated  him. 

Now,  the  'magician,  who  was  thus  twice  defeated  in  his  at- 
tempts to  ruin  Aladdin,  had  a  younger  brother,  who  was  as 
skillful  a  magician  as  himself.  They  communicated  with  each 
other  once  a  year,  however  far  apart  might  be  their  places  of 


I/O 

residence.  The  brother,  not  having  received  as  usual  his  annual 
communication,  consulted  his  books  of  magic,  and  by  this  means 
found  that  his  brother  had  been  poisoned  in  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  of  China,  and  that  the  person  who  had  poisoned  him 
was  of  low  birth,  though  married  to  a  sultan's  daughter.  He 
resolved  to  have  revenge,  and  with  this  object  he  at  once  de- 
parted for  China.  After  crossing  plains,  rivers,  mountains,  de- 
serts, and  a  long  tract  of  country,  he  at  length  arrived  there,  and 
took  lodging  at  a  khan.  By  his  magic  he  soon  discovered  that 
Aladdin  was  the  person  who  had  been  the  cause  of  the  death  of 
his  brother.  He  also  found  that  there  was  in  the  city  a  woman 
named  Fatima,  who  had  the  power  of  performing  miracles.  As 
he  thought  that  this  woman  might  be  of  use  to  him,  he  made 
more  inquiries  as  to  who  the  woman  was,  and  what  sort  of 
miracles  she  performed.  "  What,"  said  the  person  whom  he 
questioned,  ' '  have  you  never  seen  her  ?  She  is  the  wonder  of 
the  whole  town  for  her  fasting  and  holy  life.  Except  on  Mon- 
days and  Fridays  she  never  stirs  out  of  her  little  cell,  and  when 
she  comes  into  the  town  she  does  a  great  deal  of  good;  for  there 
is  not  a  person  who  is  sick  but  she  cures  with  a  touch  of  her 
hand." 

Finding  out  where  this  woman  lived,  the  magician  went  at 
night  and  killed  her.  Then  he  dyed  his  face  so  as  to  resemble 
hers,  and  dressing  himself  in  her  clothes,  he  went  straight  to  the 
palace  of  Aladdin.  As  soon  as  the  people  saw  him,  they  thought 
he  was  the  holy  woman,  and  they  gathered  about  him  in  a 
crowd.  Some  begged  his  blessing,  others  kissed  his  hands,  while 
others,  suffering  from  disease,  stopped  for  him  to  lay  his  hands 
upon  them,  which  he  did,  muttering  some  words  in  form  of 
prayer,  so  that  everybody  took  him  for  Fatima.  He  came  at 
last  to  the  square  before  Aladdin's  palace.  The  noise  was  so 
great  that  the  princess  heard  it,  and  asked  what  wa's  the  matter. 
One  of  her  servants  told  her  that  it  was  a  great  crowd  of  people 
collected  about  the  holy  woman  to  be  cured  of  their  ailments  by 
the  touch  of  her  hands. 


The  princess,  who  had  often  heard  of  this  holy  woman,  but 
had  never  seen  her,  wished  to  have  some  conversation  with  her, 
so  she  ordered  some  of  her  attendants  to  have  the  person  brought 
into  the  palace.  WThen  the  pretended  Fatima  entered,  the  prin- 
cess said,  ' '  My  good  mother,  I  have  one  thing  to  request,  which 
you  must  not  refuse  me ;  it  is  to  stay  with  me,  that  I  may  learn 
to  lead  a  good  life  from  your  example."  "  Princess,"  said  the 
false  Fatima,  "  I  beg  you  not  to  ask  what  I  cannot  consent  to 
without  neglecting  my  prayers."  "  That  shall  be  no  hindrance 
to  you,"  answered  the  princess,  "  I  have  a  great  many  apart- 
ments unoccupied;  you  shall  choose  which  you  like  best,  and 
have  as  much  time  for  your  religious  exercises  as  if  you  were  in 
your  own  cell. ' ' 

The  magician,  who  really  wished  to  remain  in  the  palace, 
where  he  thought  it  would  be  easy  for  him  to  carry  out  his  evil 
design,  made  no  further  objection.  He  was  conducted  to  the 
suite  of  rooms  which  was  to  be  occupied  by  him.  After  some 
time  the  princess  again  sent  for  him,  and  he  was  brought  into 
the  great  hall  of  the  palace,  in  which  she  was  seated.  "  My 
good  mother,"  said  she,  "  I  am  overjoyed  to  see  so  holy  a  wo- 
man as  yourself,  who  will  confer  a  blessing  upon  this  palace. 
But  now  I  am  speaking  of  the  palace,  pray  how  do  you  like  it  ? 
And  before  I  show  it  all  to  you,  tell  me  first  what  you  think  of 
this  hall." 

The  false  Fatima  looked  at  the  hall  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
When  he  had  examined  it  well,  he  said  to  the  princess,  "  As  far 
as  I  can  judge,  this  hall  is  truly  admirable;  it  wants  but  one 
thing."  "  What  is  that,  good  mother?  "  asked  the  princess; 
"  I  always  believed  it  wanted  nothing,  but  whatever  it  wants 
shall  be  supplied."  "  Princess,"  said  the  false  Fatima,  "  for- 
give the  liberty  I  take,  but  my  opinion  is,  that  if  a  roc's  egg  were 
hung  up  in  the  middle  of  the  dome,  this  hall  would  have  no 
equal,  and  your  palace  would  be  the  wonder  of  the  world." 
"  My  good  mother,"  said  the  princess,  "  what  is  a  roc,  and 
where  may  I  get  a  roc's  egg  ?  "  "  Princess,"  replied  he,  "  it  is 


1/2 

a  bird  of  vast  size,  which  inhabits  the  top  of  Mount  Caucasus; 
the  person  who  built,  your  palace  can  get  you  an  egg. ' ' 

The  princess  thanked  the  false  Fatima  for  what  she  believed 
her  good  advice,  and  she  talked  with  her  upon  other  matters, 
but  could  not  forget  the  roc's  egg.  She  resolved  to  request 
Aladdin  to  get  one,  and  so  in  the  course  of  that  evening  she  said 
to  him,  "  I  have  always  believed  that  our  palace  was  the  most 
magnificent  and  complete  in  the  world,  but  I  will  tell  you  now 
what  it  wants,  and  that  is  a  roc's  egg  hung  up  in  the  middle  of 
the  dome."  "  Princess,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  it  is  enough  that 
you  think  it  wants  such  an  ornament;  you  shall  see  that  there  is 
nothing  which  I  would  not  do  for  your  sake. ' ' 

Aladdin  left  the  princess  that  moment,  and  went  up  into  the 
hall  of  four-and- twenty- windows.  Then  pulling  out  of  his  bosom 
the  lamp,  which  he  now  always  carried  about  him,  he  rubbed  it. 
The  genie  immediately  appeared,  and  Aladdin  said>  "Genie,  I 
command  thee  in  the  name  of  this  lamp,  bring  a  roc's  egg  to  be 
hung  up  in  the  middle  of  the  dome  of  the  hall  of  the  palace. ' ' 
The  moment  Aladdin  uttered  these  words  the  hall  shook  as  if  ready 
to  fall,  and  the  genie  said  in  a  loud  and  terrible  voice,  "  Is  it 
not  enough  that  I  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp  have  done 
everything  for  you,  but  you  must  command  me  to  bring  my 
master,  and  hang  him  up  in  the  middle  of  this  dome  ?  This 
attempt  deserves  that  you,  the  princess,  and  the  palace,  should 
be  immediately  reduced  to  ashes,  but  you  are  spared  because  the 
request  does  not  come  from  yourself.  Its  true  author  is  the 
brother  of  the  African  magician.  He  is  now  in  your  palace, 
disguised  in  the  dress  of  the  holy  woman  Fatima,  whom  he  has 
murdered.  It  is  he  that  told  your  wife  to  make  this  dangerous 
demand.  His  purpose  is  to  kill  you,  therefore  take  care  of 
yourself."  After  these  words  the  genie  disappeared. 

Aladdin  resolved  at  once  what  to  do.  He  returned  to  the 
princess's  apartment,  and,  without  mentioning  what  had  hap- 
pened, sat  down,  and  complained  of  a  great  pain  in  his  head. 
On  hearing  this,  the  princess  told  him  how  she  had  invited  the 


173 

holy  Fatima  who  could  cure  all  diseases,  to  stay  with  her,  and 
that  she  was  now  in  the  palace.  At  the  request  of  Aladdin  the 
princess  immediately  sent  for  the  supposed  woman.  When  the 
pretender  appeared,  Aladdin  said,  "  Come  here  good  mother,  I 
am  glad  to  see  you.  I  am  tormented  with  a  violent  pain  in  my 
head  and  I  hope  you  will  not  refuse  to  cure  me. ' '  So  saying  he 
arose,  but  held  down  his  head.  The  false  Fatima  advanced 
toward  him,  with  his  hand  all  the  time  on  a  dagger  concealed  in 
his  girdle  under  his  gown.  Aladdin,  seeing  the  dagger,  snatched 
the  weapon  out  of  the  magician's  hand,  pierced  him  to  the  heart, 
and  then  pushed  him  down  on  the  floor. 

"  My  dear  prince,  what  have  you  done  ?  "  cried  the  princess, 
in  surprise,  "  You  have  killed  the  holy  woman."  "  No,  my 
princess,"  answered  Aladdin,  "  I  have  not  killed  Fatima,  but  a 
villain  who  would  have  killed  me  if  I  had  not  prevented  him. 
This  wicked  man  is  the  brother  of  the  magician  who  attempted 
our  ruin.  He  killed  the  true  Fatima  and  disguised  himself-  in 
her  clothes  with  intent  to  murder  me. ' '  Aladdin  then  informed 
her  how  the  genie  had  told  him  these  facts,  and  how  narrowly 
she  and  the  palace  had  escaped  destruction  through  the  magi- 
cian's proposal  about  the  roc's  egg. 

Thus  was  Aladdin  saved  from  the  evil  designs  of  the  two  magi- 
cians. Within  a  few  years  afterwards  the  sultan  died  at  a  good 
old  age,  and  as  he  had  no  male  children,  the  Princess  Buddir  al 
Buddoor  succeeded  him,  and  she  and  Aladdin  reigned  together 
many  years  in  great  happiness  and  prosperity. 


STORY   OF   PRINCE  ZEYN  ALASNAM  AND   THE   SUL- 
TAN OF  THE  GENIES. 

There  was  once  a  sultan  of  Bussorah,  who  was  very  rich  and 
very  much  loved  by  his  people.  He  had  only  one  cause  of  un- 
happiness,  and  that  was  that  he  had  no  children.  He  therefore 
gave  large  alms  to  pious  dervjses,  that  they  might  pray  to  God 


174 

to  send  him  a  son.  Their  prayers  were  heard,  and  a  son  was 
born  to  him  and  his  queen,  whom  he  named  Zeyn  Alasnam. 

After  his  son's  birth,  the  sultan  called  together  a  number  of 
learned  men  and  magicians,  to  find  out  from  them  what  would 
be  the  young  prince's  fortune  in  life.  They  said  that  he  would 
live  long,  and  be  very  brave,  but  that  all  his  courage  would  be 
little  enough  to  carry  him  through  the  difficulties  and  troubles 
he  would  meet.  The  sultan  was  not  uneasy  at  this  prediction. 
"  My  son,"  said  he,  "  is  not  to  be  pitied,  since  he  will  be 
brave.  It  is  fit  that  princes  should  have  a  trial  of  misfortunes, 
for  by  this  they  are  better  qualified  to  reign.'' 

He  caused  Zeyn  to  be  educated  with  great  care,  that  he  might 
become  an  accomplished  prince.  But  in  a  few  years,  while  his 
son  was  yet  young,  the  sultan  fell  sick  of  a  disease  which  his 
physicians  could  not  cure.  Seeing  that  he  was  near  death,  he 
sent  for  the  prince,  and  gave  him  good  advice  as  to  how  he  should 
rule  when  he  should  be  sultan. 

But  soon  after  his  father's  death  Prince  Zeyn  began  to  show 
that  he  was  unfit  to  govern  a  kingdom.  He  kept  bad  company, 
and  he  appointed  his  youthful  companions  to  the  chief  offices  of 
government.  In  this  way  he  lost  the  respect  of  the  people,  and 
spent  all  the  money  in  his  treasury. 

The  queen  his  mother,  a  wise  princess,  tried  to  correct  her 
son's  conduct,  telling  him  that  if  he  did  not  soon  take  another 
course,  the  people  would  rebel  against  him,  and  deprive  him 
of  his  crown  and  of  his  life.  This  very  nearly  happened.  The 
people  began  to  complain  against  the  government,  and  they 
would  have  revolted,  only  that  the  sultan,  before  it  was  too  late, 
gave  heed  to  his  mother's  advice.  He  dismissed  his  foolish 
companions,  and  put  in  their  places  older  and  wiser  men,  who 
knew  how  to  manage  affairs  of  state. 

.-But  all  his  money  was  now  wasted,  and  he  repented  that  he 
had  made  no  better  use  of  it.  He  was  so  grieved  that  his  mother 
could  not  comfort  him.  One  night  he  saw  in  a  dream  a  venerable 
old  man  coming  towards  him,  who,  with  a  smjling  countenance 


said,  "  Zeyn,  there  is  no  sorrow  that  is  not  followed  by  joy,  no 
misfortune  that  does  not  bring  some  happiness.  If  you  wish  to 
see  the  end  of  your  troubles,  set  out  for  Grand  Cairo  where  great 
good  luck  awaits  you." 

The  young  sultan  spoke  of  his  dream  to  his  mother,  who  only 
laughed  at  it.  "  My  son,"  said  she,  "  would  you  leave  your 
kingdom  and  go  into  Egypt  on  the  faith  of  a  dream,  which  may 
be  a  deception  ?"  "  Why  not,"  answered  Zeyn,  "  do  you  think 
all  dreams  are  deceptions  ?  No,  no,  some  of  them  are  from 
Heaven.  My  teachers  have  told  me  so.  The  old  man  who 
appeared  to  me  had  something  heavenly  about  his  person.  He 
was  such  a  one  as  our  great  prophet,  Mohammed,  is  represented, 
and  I  believe  it  was  the  prophet  himself,  who,  pitying  my  dis- 
tress, wishes  to  relieve  it.  I  rely  on  the  promise  he  has  made 
me,  and  am  resolved  to  follow  his  advice."  The  queen  en- 
deavored to  prevent  him  from  doing  so,  but  it  was  of  no  use. 
He  begged  her  to  undertake  the  government  in  his  absence,  and 
setting  out  one  night  privately  from  his  palace,  he  took  the  road 
to  Cairo,  alone  and  unattended. 

After  much  fatigue  he  arrived  at  that  famous  city.  Coming  to 
the  gate  of  a  mosque,  he  lay  down  to  rest  and  fell  asleep.  In 
his  sleep  he  saw  the  same  old  man,  who  said  to  him,  "  I  am 
pleased  with  you,  my  son,  because  you  have  believed  me. 
I  have  not  caused  you  to  make  this  long  journey  with  any  other 
purpose  than  to  try  you.  I  find  you  have  courage.  You  deserve 
that  I  should  make  you  the  richest  and  happiest  prince  in  the 
world.  Return  to  Bussorah,  and  you  shall  find  immense  wealth 
in  your  palace.  No  king  ever  possessed  so  rich  a  treasure." 

Prince  Zeyn  was  not  pleased  with  this  dream.  "  Alas,"  said 
he  to  himself,  when  he  awoke,  "  how  much  was  I  mistaken. 
That  old  man,  whom  I  took  for  our  prophet,  is  a  deception. 
My  mother  was  right.  It  is  fortunate  that  I  told  no  one  but  her 
the  object  of  my  journey.  I  should  become  a  jest  to  my  people, 
if  they  knew  it." 

Accordingly  he  set  out  again  for  his  kingdom,  and  as  soon  as 


1 76 

he  arrived  there  the  queen  asked  him  whether  he  returned  well 
pleased.  He  told  her  all  that  had  happened,  and  was  so  much 
vexed  for  having  been  so  foolish  that  the  queen,  instead  of 
reproving  or  laughing  at  him,  comforted  him.  "Do  not  be 
grieved,  my  son,"  said  she;  "  if  it  be  God's  will  that  you  should 
have  riches,  you  will  have  them  without  any  trouble.  Be  con- 
tented. All  that  I  recommend  to  you  is  to  be  virtuous,  and  shun 
vain  pleasures,  which  have  already  nearly  ruined  you.  Try  to 
make  your  people  happy,  and  you  will  make  yourself  happy. ' ' 

Sultan  Zeyn  promised  that  he  would  for  the  future  follow  his 
mother's  advice,  and  the  advice  of  the  wise  viziers  she  had 
chosen  to  assist  him  in  the  government.  But  the  very  night  after 
he  returned  to  his  palace  he  had  another  dream  in  which  he 
saw  the  old  man,  who  said  to  him,  "  The  time  of  your  good 
fortune  is  .come,  brave  Zeyn ;  to-morrow  morning,  as  soon  as  you 
get  up,  take  a  little  pickax,  and  dig  in  your  father's  closet; 
there  you  will  find  a  rich  treasure." 

As  soon  as  the  sultan  awoke  he  got  up,  ran  to  the  queen's 
apartment,  and  with  much  eagerness  told  her  his  new  dream. 
"  Really,  my  son,"  said  the  queen,  smiling,  "  this  is  a  very 
strange  old  man.  Have  you  a  mind  to  believe  him  again  ? 
However,  the  task  he  puts  on  you  now  is  not  so  bad  as  your  long 
journey."  "  Well,  mother,"  answered  the  sultan,  "  I  must  own 
that  I  believe  in  this  dream.  The  old  man  has  told  me  the 
place  where  these  treasures  are.  I  would  rather  search  and  not 
find  than  blame  myself  as  long  as  I  live  for  having,  perhaps, 
missed  great  riches,  by  being  too  unwilling  to  believe. ' ' 

Having  spoken  thus  he  left  the  queen's  apartment,  caused  a 
pickax  to  be  brought  him,  went  alone  into  the  late  sultan's 
closet,  and  immediately  began  to  break  up  the  floor.  He  re- 
moved more  than  half  the  square  stones  it  was  paved  with,  but 
yet  saw  not  the  least  appearance  of  what  he  was  searching  for. 
Ceasing  work  to  take  a  little  rest,  he  thought  within  himself, 
"  I  am  much  afraid  my  mother  has  cause  enough  to  laugh  at 
me."  However,  he  took  heart,  and  went  on  with  his  labor, 


177 

when  on  a  sudden  he  discovered  a  white  slab,  which  he  took  up, 
and  under  it  he  found  a  staircase  of  white  marble.  He  immedi- 
ately lighted  a  lamp,  and  went  down  the  stairs  into  a  room,  the 
floor  of  which  was  laid  with  tiles  of  chinaware,  and  the  roof  and 
walls  of  which  were  crystal.  The  room  contained  four  golden 
tables,  on  each  of  which  were  ten  urns  of  porphyry.  He  went 
up  to  one  of  the  urns,  took  off  the  cover,  and  found  that  it  was 
full  of  pieces  of  gold.  He  looked  into  all  of  the  forty,  one  after 
another,  and  found  them  also  full  of  gold. 

The  queen,  as  may  be  imagined,  was  amazed  when  the  sultan 
gave  her  an  account  of  what  he  had  discovered.  ' '  O  my  son !  ' ' 
said  she,  "  take  heed  you  do  not  lavish  away  all  this  wealth  fool- 
ishly, as  you  have  already  lavished  the  royal  treasure."  "  No 
madam,"  answered  Zeyn,  "  I  will  in  future  live  in  such  a  manner 
as  shall  be  pleasing  to  you. ' ' 

Then  the  queen  requested  her  son  to  conduct  her  to  the  won- 
derful underground  treasury,  which  the  late  sultan  her  husband 
had  made  with  such  secrecy  that  she  had  never  heard  of  it. 
Zeyn  led  her  to  the  closet,  down  the  marble  stairs,  and  into  the 
chamber  where  the  urns  were.  She  noticed  everything  very  closely, 
and  in  a  corner  spied  a  little  urn  of  the  same  sort  of  stone  as  the 
others.  The  prince  had  not  before  seen  this  urn.  He  at  once 
opened  it  and  found  that  it  contained  a  golden  key.  ' '  My  son, ' ' 
said  the  queen,  ' '  this  key  certainly  belongs  to  some  other  treasure ; 
let  us  search  well;  perhaps  we  may  discover  the  use  it  is  for." 

They  then  examined  the  chamber  with  the  utmost  care,  and  at 
length  found  a  keyhole  in  one  of  the  panels  of  the  wall.  The 
sultan  immediately  tried  the  key,  and  it  opened  the  door,  which 
led  into  another  chamber.  In  this  chamber  there  were  nine 
pedestals  of  massive  gold,  on  eight  of  which  stood  as  many 
statues,  each  of  them  made  of  a  single  diamond,  and  from  them 
darted  such  a  brightness  that  the  whole  room  was  lighted  up. 
The  ninth  pedestal  had  upon  it  what  was  still  more  wonderful, 
for  it  was  covered  with  a  piece  of  white  satin,  on  which  were 
written  these  words : 

ARABIAN   NIGHTS — 12 


"  Dear  son,  it  cost  me  much  toil  to  procure  these  eight 
statues ;  but  though  they  are  beautiful,  you  must  understand 
that  there  is  a  ninth  in  the  world,  which  is  more  beautiful  and 
valuable  than  them  all.  It  is  worth  more  than  a  thousand 
such  as  these.  If  you  desire  to  be  the  owner  of  it,  go  to  the 
city  of  Cairo  in  Egypt.  One  of  my  old  slaves,  whose  name  is 
Mobarec,  lives  there.  You  will  easily  find  him.  Visit  him, 
<and  tell  him  all  that  has  happened  to  you.  He  will  conduct 
jyou  to  the  place  where  that  wonderful  statue  is,  which  you  will 
obtain  with  safety." 

The  young  sultan  having  read  these  words,  said  to  the  queen, 
"  I  will  set  out  for  Grand  Cairo.  I  am  sure,  mother,  you  will 
not  object."  "  No,  my  son,"  answered  the  queen,  "  I  am  not 
against  it.  I  am  certain  that  you  are  under  the  protection  of 
our  great  prophet.  He  will  not  permit  you  to  perish  in  this 
journey."  The  prince  made  ready  and  set  out,  taking  with 
him  a  few  attendants. 

Nothing  remarkable  happened  on  the  way.  When  he  arrived 
at  Cairo,  he  inquired  for  Mobarec.  The  people  told  him  that 
he  was  one  of  the  wealthiest  inhabitants  of  the  city,  that  he  lived 
like  a  great  lord,  and  that  his  house  was  open,  especially  for 
strangers.  Zeyn  went  to  the  house,  and  knocked  at  the  door. 
It  was  opened  by  a  slave  who  asked,  "  What  is  it  you  want,  and 
who  are  you?"  "I  am  a  stranger,"  answered  the  prince, 
"  and  hearing  much  of  the  Lord  Mobarec 's  generosity,  I  have 
come  to  take  up  my  lodging  with  him. ' '  The  slave  desired 
Zeyn  to  wait  while  he  went  to  inform  his  master,  who  at  once 
ordered  him  to  request  the  stranger  to  walk  in.  Returning  to 
the  door,  the  slave  told  the  prince  he  was  welcome. 

Zeyn  went  in,  crossed  a  large  court,  and  entered  a  hall  magnifi- 
cently furnished,  where  Mobarec  received  him  very  civilly.  The 
prince  then  said  to  Mobarec,  "  I  am  the  son  of  the  late  sultan 
of  Bussorah,  and  my  name  is  Zeyn  Alasnam."  "  That  sove- 
reign," said  Mobarec,  "  was  formerly  my  master,  but  I  never 
knew  of  any  children  he  had;  what  is  your  age?  "  "  I  am 


179 

twenty  years  old,"  answered  the  sultan.  "  How  long  is  it  since 
you  left  my  father's  court  ?  "  "  Almost  two-and-twenty  years," 
replied  Mobarec.  "But  how  can  you  make  me  sure  that  you 
are  his  son?"  "My  father,"  replied  Zeyn,  "had  a  secret 
chamber  under  his  closet,  in  which  I  have  found  forty  porphyry 
urns  full  of  gold. "  "  And  what  more  is  there  ?  ' '  asked  Mobarec. 
"  There  are,"  answered  the  prince,  "  nine  pedestals  of  massive 
gold,  on  eight  of  which  are  as  many  diamond  statues.  On  the 
ninth  there  is  a  piece  of  white  satin,  on  which  my  father  has 
written  what  I  am  to  do  to  obtain  another  statue,  more  valuable 
than  all  those  together.  You  know  where  that  statue  is,  for  it  is 
said  on  the  satin  that  you  will  conduct  me  to  it. ' ' 

As  soon  as  he  had  spoken  these  words,  Mobarec  fell  down  at 
his  feet,  and,  kissing  one  of  his  hands  several  times,  said,  "  I 
bless  God  for  having  brought  you  here.  I  now  know  you  to  be 
the  sultan  of  Bussorah's  son.  1  will  conduct  you  to  the  place 
where  the  wonderful  statue  is,  but  you  must  first  rest  here  a 
few  days.  This  day  I  am  entertaining  the  great  men  of  the  city 
at  a  banquet.  Will  you  come  and  be  merry  with  us  ?  "  "I 
shall  be  very  glad,"  replied  Zeyn,-"  to  be  admitted  to  your 
feast."  Mobarec  immediately  led  him  into  a  grand  hall  where 
the  company  was,  seated  him  at  the  table,  and  went  on  his  knees 
when  serving  him.  The  great  men  present  were  surprised,  and 
whispered  to  one  another,  "  Who  is  this  stranger,  to  whom 
Mobarec  pays  so  much  respect  ?  ' ' 

When  they  had  dined,  Mobarec,  addressing  the  company, 
said,  "  My  friends,  this  young  stranger  is  the  son  of  the  sultan 
of  Bussorah,  my  late  master.  His  father  purchased  me,  and 
died  without  making  me  free,  so  I  am  still  a  slave,  and  all 
I  have  belongs  to  this  young  prince,  his  sole  heir."  Here 
Zeyn  stopped  him  and  said,  "  Mobarec,  I  declare,  before  all 
these  guests,  that  I  make  you  free  from  this  moment,  and  that 
I  give  up  all  right  to  your  person,  and  all  you  possess."  Mo- 
barec bowed  down  to  the  ground,  and  returned  the  prince  most 
hearty  thanks. 


i8o 

The  next  day  Zeyn  said  to  Mobarec,  "  I  have  taken  rest 
enough.  I  came  to  Cairo  not  for  pleasure.  My  purpose  is  to 
obtain  the  ninth  statue.  It  is  time  for  us  to  set  out  in  search  of 
it."  "  Sir,"  said  Mobarec,  "  I  am  ready  to  comply  with  your 
request,  but  you  know  not  what  dangers  you  must  meet  before 
you  get  the  statue."  "  Whatever  the  danger  may  be," 
answered  the  prince,  "  I  have  resolved  to  make  the  attempt. 
I  will  either  perish  or  succeed.  All  that  happens  in  this  world  is 
by  God's  direction." 

Mobarec,  seeing  that  he  was  resolved  to  go,  ordered  his  ser- 
vants to  make  preparations  for  the  journey,  and  as  soon  as  all 
was  ready  they  started.  They  traveled  many  days,  and  at  length, 
having  come  to  a  delightful  spot,  they  alighted  from  their 
horses.  Mobarec  then  said  to  the  servants  that  attended  them, 
"Do  you  remain  here  till  we  return;"  and  he  said  to  Zeyn, 
"Now,  sir,  let  us  go  on  by  ourselves.  We  are  near  the  dreadful 
place  where  the  ninth  statue  is  kept.  You  will  presently  need 
all  your  courage. ' '  . 

They  soon  came  to  a  vast  lake.  Mobarec  sat  down  on  the 
brink  of  it,  saying  to  the  prince,  "  We  must  cross  this  lake." 
"  How  can  we,"  answered  Zeyn,  "  when  we  have  no  boat  ?  " 
"  You  will  see  one  appear  in  a  moment,"  replied  Mobarec; 
"  the  enchanted  boat  of  the  sultan  of  the  genies  will  come  for 
us.  But  you  must  keep  strict  silence.  Do  not  speak  to  the  boat- 
man, though  he  seem  strange  to  you.  Whatever  extraordinary 
circumstance  you  observe,  say  nothing,  for  I  tell  you  that  if  you 
utter  one  word  when  we  are  embarked,  the  boat  will  sink." 
"  I  shall  take  care  to  be  silent,"  said  the  prince;  "  you  need 
only  tell  me  what  I  am  to  do,  and  I  will  strictly  comply." 

While  they  were  talking,  he  saw  on  a  sudden  a  boat  in  the 
lake,  made  of  red  sandalwood.  It  had  a  mast  of  fine  amber,  and 
a  blue  satin  flag.  There  was  only  one  boatman  in  it,  who  had 
the  head  of  an  elephant  and  the  body  of  a  tiger.  When  the  boat 
came  up  to  the  prince  and  Mobarec,  the  boatman  took  them  in, 
one  after  the  other,  with  his  trunk,  and  carried  them  over  the 


lake  in  a  moment.     He  then  took  them  up  with  his  trunk,  set 
them  ashore,  and  immediately  disappeared  with  his  boat. 

"  Now  we  may  talk,"  said  Mobarec.  "  The  island  we  are  in 
belongs  to  the  king  of  the  genies.  Look  around  you,  prince; 
can  there  be  a  more  delightful  spot  ?  See  the  fields  adorned 
with  all  sorts  of  flowers  and  plants;  admire  those  beautiful  trees, 
whose  branches  bend  down  to  the  ground;  hear  those  songs 
from  a  thousand  birds  of  as  many  various  sorts,  unknown  in  other 
countries. ' '  Zeyn  was  delighted  with  the  beauties  he  saw,  and 
he  saw  new  beauties  as  he  advanced  farther  into  the  island. 

At  length  they  came  before  a  palace  built  of  emeralds,  sur- 
rounded by  a  wide  moat,  on  the  banks  of  which  were  trees  so 
tall  that  they  shaded  the  whole  building.  The  gate  was  of  mas- 
sive gold,  and  was  approached  by  a  bridge  formed  of  one  single 
shell  of  a  fish,  thirty  feet  long,  and  eighteen  in  breadth.  At  the 
head  of  the  bridge  stood  a  company  of  very  tall  genies,  who 
guarded  the  entrance  into  the  castle  with  great  clubs  of  steel. 

"Let  us  go  no  farther  at  present,"  said  Mobarec;  "these 
genies  might  destroy  us,  and  in  order  to  prevent  their  coming 
near  us  we  must  perform  a  magical  ceremony. ' '  Then  Mobarec 
laid  on  the  ground  two  large  mats,  on  the  edges  of  which  he  scat- 
tered some  precious  stones,  rnusk,  and  amber.  Afterwards  he 
sat  down  on  one  of  the  mats,  and  Zeyn  on  the  other,  and  then 
he  said  to  the  prince,  "  I  shall  now,  sir,  summon  the  sultan 
of  the  genies,  who  lives  in  the  palace  that  is  before  us.  If  our 
coming  into  this  island  is  displeasing  to  him,  he  will  appear  in 
the  shape  of  a  dreadful  monster,  but  if  he  approves  of  our  com- 
ing, he  will  show  himself  in  the  shape  of  a  handsome  man.  As 
soon  as  he  appears  before  us,  you  must  rise  and  salute  him, 
without  going  off  your  mat,  for  you  would  certainly  perish  should 
you  stir  from  it.  You  must  say  to  him,  'Lord  of  the  genies,  I  wish 
your  Majesty  may  protect  me,  as  you  always  protected  my  father; 
and  I  most  humbly  beg  of  you  to  give  me  the  ninth  statue.'  ' 

Immediately  after  Mobarec  ceased  speaking,  their  eyes  were 
dazzled  by  a  long  flash  of  lightning,  which  was  followed  by  a  clap 


1 82 

of  thunder.  The  whole  island  was  covered  with  a  thick  darkness, 
a  furious  storm  of  wind  blew,  a  dreadful  cry  was  heard,  and  the 
island  felt  a  shock,  as  if  of  an  earthquake.  Then  the  sultan  of 
the  genies  appeared  in  the  shape  of  a  very  handsome  man,  yet 
there  was  something  terrific  in  his  air. 

As  soon  as  King  Zeyn  bowed  down  before  him  and  spoke  as 
he  had  been  taught  by  Mobarec,  the  sultan  of  the  genies,  smil- 
ing, said,  "  My  son,  I  loved  your  father,  and  every  time  he 
came  to  pay  me  his  respects,  I  presented  him  with  a  statue,  which 
he  carried  away  with  him.  I  have  no  less  kindness  for  you. 
I  wrote  for  your  father,  some  days  before  he  died,  that  which 
you  read  on  the  piece  of  white  satin.  I  promised  him  to  take 
you  under  my  protection,  and  to  give  you  the  ninth  statue,  which 
in  beauty  surpasses  those  you  have  already.  I  had  begun  to  per- 
form my  promise  to  him,  for  it  was  I  you  saw  in  a  dream  in  the 
shape  of  an  old  man.  I  caused  you  to  open  the  underground 
place  where  the  urns  and  the  statues  are  deposited.  I  know 
what  brought  you  here;  you  shall  obtain  what  you  desire,  on 
certain  conditions.  You  must  return  with  Mobarec,  and  you 
must  promise  to  come  again  to  me,  and  to  bring  with  you  a 
young  maiden  who  has  reached  her  fifteenth  year,  and  who  has 
never  had  a  wish  to  be  married.  She  must  also  be  perfectly 
beautiful,  and  you  must  not  even  desire  as  you  are  bringing  her 
here  to  make  her  your  queen.  I  will  give  you  a  looking-glass, 
which  will  clearly  reflect  no  other  image  than  that  of  the  young 
maiden  you  are  in  search  of.  Now  promise  me  to  observe  these 
conditions,  and  keep  your  promise  like  a  man  of  honor;  otherwise, 
I  will  take  away  your  life,  notwithstanding  the  kindness  I  have 
for  you. ' '  Zeyn  Alasnam  gave  the  promise  required,  and  vowed 
that  he  would  faithfully  keep  his  word. 

The  sultan  of  the  genies  then  gave  him  a  looking-glass,  saying, 
"  My  son,  you  may  return  when  you  please;  there  is  the  glass 
you  are  to  use. ' '  Zeyn  and  Mobarec  took  leave  of  the  sultan  of 
the  genies,  and  went  towards  the  lake.  The  boatman  with  the 
elephant's  head  brought  the  boat,  and  ferried  them  over  the  lake 


183 

as  he  had  done  before.  They  joined  their  servants,  and  returned 
with  them  again  to  Cairo.  The  young  sultan  rested  a  few  days 
at  Mobarec's  house,  and  then  said  to  him,  "  Let  us  go  to  Bag- 
dad, to  seek  a  maiden  for  the  sovereign  of  the  genies."  "  Why, 
are  we  not  at  Grand  Cairo?  "  said  Mobarec.  "  Shall  we  not 
find  beautiful  maidens  here  ?  "  "  You  are  right,"  answered  the 
prince;  "  but  how  shall  we  find  where  they  are  ?  "  "Do  not 
trouble  yourself  about  that,"  answered  Mobarec;  "  I  know  a 
very  wise  old  woman,  who  will  help  us  in  the  matter." 

The  old  woman  found  means  to  show  King  Zeyn  a  number  of 
beautiful  maidens  of  fifteen  years  of  age;  but  when  he  had 
viewed  them,  and  tried  his  looking-glass,  the  glass  always 
appeared  dim.  All  the  maidens  in  the  city  who  were  in  their 
fifteenth  year  underwent  the  trial,  one  after  another,  but  the 
glass  never  remained  bright  and  clear.  When  they  saw  that  the 
maiden  was  not  to  be  found  in  Cairo,  they  went  to  Bagdad,  and 
there  they  hired  a  magnificent  palace,  and  soon  made  acquaint- 
ance with  the  chief  people  of  the  city. 

There  lived  at  Bagdad  at  this  time  an  imaum  much  noted  for 
his  charity.  His  name  was  Boubekir  Muezin.  Mobarec  went 
to  him  and  gave  him  a  purse  of  five  hundred  gold  pieces,  in  the 
name  of  Prince  Zeyn,  to  distribute  among  the  poor.  On  the 
next  day,  Boubekir  Muezin  waited  on  Prince  Zeyn  to  return  to 
him  his  thanks.  On  hearing  the  purpose  of  his  visit  to  Bagdad, 
he  told  him  of  a  maiden,  the  daughter  of  a  former  vizier  of  Bag- 
dad, who,  he  thought,  would  be  found  suitable,  according  to  the 
conditions  proposed.  He  offered  to  ask  her  from  her  father, 
if  the  prince  would  accompany  him  to  her  father's  mansion.  The 
prince  did  so,  and  the  vizier,  as  soon  as  he  was  told  who  the  prince 
was,  and  the  reason  of  his  visit,  called  his  daughter,  and  made 
her  take  off  her  veil.  Never  had  the  young  sultan  of  Bussorah 
beheld  such  a  perfect  and  striking  beauty.  Then  he  pulled 
out  his  glass,  and  it  remained  bright  and  clear. 

When  he  saw  that  he  had  at  length  found  the  person  he  wanted, 
he  entreated  the  vizier  to  grant  her  to  him.  The  vizier  con- 


1 84 

sented,  and  immediately  a  judge  was  sent  for,  and  the  marriage 
contract  was  drawn  and  signed.  After  this  ceremony,  Zeyn 
conducted  the  vizier  to  his  house,  where  he  treated  him  magnifi- 
cently, and  gave  him  rich  presents.  Next  day  Mobarec  brought 
the  bride  to  Zeyn's  house,  and  said  to  him,  "  Let  us  not  stay  any 
longer  at  Bagdad,  but  return  to  Cairo;  remember  the  promise 
you  made  the  sultan  of  the  genies. "  "  Let  us  go,"  answered 
the  prince;  "  I  must  take  care  to  perform  it  exactly,  yet  I  must 
confess,  my  dear  Mobarec,  that  if  I  obey  the  sultan  of  the 
genies,  it  is  not  without  regret.  The  lady  I  have  married  is  so 
charming  that  I  am  tempted  to  carry  her  to  Bussorah,  and  place 
her  on  the  throne."  "Dear  prince,"  answered  Mobarec,  "  I 
entreat  you  to  keep  your  promise  to  the  sultan  of  the  genies. ' ' 
"  Well  then,  Mobarec,"  said  the  prince,  "  you  must  take  care  to 
conceal  the  lovely  maiden  from  me;  let  her  never  again  appear 
in  my  sight." 

Mobarec  then  made  all  ready  for  their  departure.  They  re- 
turned to  Cairo,  and  from  there  set  out  for  the  island  of  the 
sultan  of  the  genies.  When  they  arrived,  the  lady  said  to  Mo- 
barec, "  Where  are  we  ?  Shall  we  be  soon  in  the  kingdom  of 
the  prince  my  husband?"  "Madam,"  answered  Mobarec, 
"  it  is  time  to  tell  you  the  truth.  Prince  Zeyn  married  you  only 
to  get  you  from  your  father;  he  did  not  promise  to  make  you 
queen  of  Bussorah,  but  to  give  you  to  the  sultan  of  the  genies, 
who  asked  of  him  a  maiden  of  your  loveliness  and  purity."  At 
these  words,  she  began  to  weep  bitterly.  "  Take  pity  on  me," 
said  she;  "  I  am  a  stranger;  you  will  have  to  answer  to  God  for 
your  conduct  towards  me. ' ' 

Her  tears  were,  however,  of  no  avail.  She  was  presented  to 
the  sultan  of  the  genies,  who,  having  looked  at  her  with  atten- 
tion, said  to  Zeyn,  "  Prince,  I  am  satisfied  with  your  behavior; 
the  maid  you  have  brought  me  is  beautiful  and  good,  and  I  am 
pleased  with  the  restraint  you  have  put  upon  yourself  to  fulfill 
your  promise  to  me.  Return  to  your  kingdom,  and  when  you 
enter  the  underground  room,  where  the  eight  statues  are,  you 


i85 

shall  find  the  ninth  which  I  promised  you.  I  will  make  my 
genies  carry  it  there. ' '  Zeyn  thanked  the  king  of  the  genies, 
and  returned  to  Cairo  with  Mobarec,  but  did  not  stay  long  in 
Egypt,  for  his  impatience  to  see  the  ninth  statue  made  him 
hasten  his  departure.  He  could  not,  however,  think  without  re- 
gret of  the  maiden  he  had  married,  and  he  blamed  himself  for  hav- 
ing deceived  her.  "  Alas  !  "  said  he,  "I  have  taken  her  from 
a  tender  father,  to  give  her  to  a  genie.  Oh,  beautiful  lady  ! 
you  deserve  a  better  fate. ' ' 

Sultan  Zeyn,  disturbed  with  these  thoughts,  at  length  reached 
Bussorah,  w'here  his  people  made  extraordinary  rejoicings  for  his 
return.  He  went  directly  to  give  an  account  of  his  journey  to 
his  mother,  who  was  delighted  to  hear  that  he  had  obtained  the 
ninth  statue.  "  Let  us  go,  my  son,"  said  she,  "  let  us  go  and 
see  it,  for  it  is  certainly  in  the  underground  chamber,  as  the  sul- 
tan of  the  genies  said  you  should  find  it  there. ' '  The  young  sul- 
tan and  his  mother  then  went  down  into  the  room  of  the  statues. 
Great  was  their  surprise  when,  instead  of  a  statue  of  diamonds, 
they  saw  on  the  ninth  pedestal  a  most  beautiful  lady,  whom  the 
prince  knew  to  be  the  maid  he  had  given  to  the  sultan  of  the 
genies.  "  Prince,"  said  the  maid,  "  you  are  surprised  to  see 
me  here.  You  expected  to  find  something  more  precious,  and  I 
suppose  you  now  regret  having  taken  so  much  trouble;  you  ex- 
pected a  better  reward."  "  Madam,"  answered  Zeyn,  "  I  de- 
clare to  you  that  more  than  once  I  had  nearly  broken  my  word 
with  the  sultan  of  the  genies,  to  keep  you  to  myself.  Whatever  be 
the  value  of  a  diamond  statue,  I  love  you  above  all  the  dia- 
monds and  wealth  in  the  world. ' ' 

Just  as  he  had  done  speaking,  a  clap  of  thunder  was  heard, 
which  shook  the  palace.  Zeyn's  mother  was  alarmed,  but  the 
sultan  of  the  genies  immediately  appearing,  she  was  no  longer 
afraid.  "  Madam,"  said  he  to  her,  "  I  protect  and  love  your 
son.  I  wished  to  try  whether  at  his  age  he  could  control  him- 
self. This  lady  is  the  ninth  statue  I  intended  for  him;  it  is  more 
precious  than  the  others.  Live, ' '  said  he  to  the  young  prince, 


1 86 

"live  happily,  Zeyn,  with  this  your  wife,  and  if  you  would  have 
her  true  and  constant  to  you,  love  her  always,  and  love  her 
only." 

Having  spoken  these  words,  the  sultan  of  the  genies  vanished, 
and  Zeyn,  delighted  with  his  young  wife,  caused  her  the  same 
day  to  be  proclaimed  queen  of  Bussorah,  over  which  they  reigned 
together  in  happiness  all  their  lives. 


STORY  OF    PRINCE  AHMED  AND  THE    FAIRY  PERIE 

BANOU. 

There  was  once  a  sultan  of  India,  who,  after  a  long  reign, 
reached  a  good  old  age.  He  had  three  sons  and  one  niece. 
The  eldest  son  was  called  Houssain,  the  second  Ali,  and  the 
youngest  Ahmed.  His  niece  was  called  Nouronnihar.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  a  favorite  brother  of  his  who  died  young.  She 
was  brought  up  in  her  uncle's  palace  from  her  childhood,  and 
was  remarkable  for  her  cleverness  and  her  beauty. 

When  Nouronnihar  came  of  age,  the  sultan  wished  her  to 
marry  a  neighboring  prince,  but  he  found  that  all  the  three 
princes,  his  sons,  loved  her  and  wished  to  marry  her.  This 
grieved  him  very  much  on  account  of  the  trouble  and  discord  it 
would  cause  among  his  sons.  He  spoke  to  each  of  them  apart, 
telling  them  it  was  impossible  for  one  princess  to  be  the  wife  of 
three  persons,  and  he  tried  to  make  them  consent  to  abide  by 
the  decision  of  the  princess  herself  in  favor  of  some  one  of  them. 
But  he  could  not  get  them  to  agree  to  this,  so  he  sent  for  them 
all  together,  and  he  said,  "  I  have  a  way  of  settling  this  matter 
which  I  think  will  please  you  all.  I  propose  that  you  travel 
separately  into  different  countries,  so  that  you  may  not  meet 
each  other,  and  I  promise  my  niece  in  marriage  to  him  who 
shall  bring  me  the  greatest  curiosity.  I  will  give  each  of  you  a 
sum  of  money  for  the  purchase  of  the  thing  you  shall  search 
after,  and  for  the  payment  of  your  traveling  expenses." 


1 87 

The  three  princes  consented  to  this  proposal,  each  hoping  that 
fortune  would  prove  favorable  to  him.  The  sultan  then  gave 
them  the  money  he  promised,  and  early  next  morning  they  all 
went  out  at  the  same  gate  of  the  city,  each  dressed  like  a  mer- 
chant, attended  by  an  officer  dressed  as  a  slave,  and  all  well 
mounted  and  equipped.  They  went  the  first  day's  journey  to- 
gether, and  at  night,  when  they  were  at  supper,  they  agreed  to 
travel  for  a  year,  and  to  meet  that  day  twelve  months  at  the 
khan  where  they  were  then  stopping,  the  first  who  came  to  wait 
for  the  rest,  so  that  as  they  had  taken  leave  of  the  sultan  to- 
gether, they  might  return  in  company.  The  next  morning  by 
break  of  day,  after  they  had  embraced  and  wished  each  other 
good  success,  they  mounted  their  horses,  and  each  took  a  differ- 
ent road. 

PRINCE  HOUSSAIN  AND  THE  CARPET. 

Prince  Houssain,  the  eldest  brother,  took  the  way  towards  the 
Indian  coast.  After  three  months  traveling,  sometimes  over 
deserts  and  barren  mountains,  and  sometimes  through  populous 
and  fertile  countries,  he  arrived  at  Bisnagar,  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  of  that  name,  and  the  residence  of  its  king.  He 
lodged  at  a  khan  where  foreign  merchants  usually  put  up,  and  he 
soon  learned  that  there  were  four  principal  markets,  where  mer- 
chants of  all  sorts  kept  their  stores.  These  markets  were  situ- 
ated on  a  large  extent  of  ground,  in  the  center  of  the  city,  in 
the  middle  of  which  stood  the  king's  palace,  surrounded  by  three 
courts,  the  gates  of  which  were  each  distant  six  miles  from  the 
other. 

Prince  Houssain  went  to  one  of  the  markets  on  the  next  day. 
It  was  a  large  place,  divided  into  several  vaulted  avenues,  and 
shaded  from  the  sun,  but  well  lighted.  The  stores  were  all  of 
the  same  size,  and  all  who  dealt  in  the  same  sort  of  goods  lived 
in  one  avenue. 

After  Prince  Houssain  had  passed  through  that  quarter,  street 


1 88 

by  street,  a  merchant,  seeing  him  go  by,  much  fatigued,  invited 
him  to  sit  down  in  front  of  his  shop.  He  was  not  seated  long 
when  a  man  appeared  with  a  piece  of  carpet  on  his  arm,  about 
six  feet  square,  and  crying  it  for  sale  at  forty  purses.  The 
prince  called  to  the  crier,  and,  after  examining  the  carpet,  told 
him  he  could  not  understand  why  so  small  a  piece  of  carpet 
should  be  set  at  so  high  a  price,  unless  it  had  something  very 
extraordinary  in  it,  which  he  knew  nothing  of.  "  You  have 
guessed  right,  sir,"  replied  the  crier,  "  it  has  something  very 
extraordinary  in  it;  whoever  sits  on  this  piece  of  carpet  may  be 
carried  in  an  instant  wherever  he  wishes  to  be."  "  If  the  car- 
pet," said  the  prince  to  the  crier,  "  has  the  power  you  say,  I 
shall  not  think  forty  purses  too  much."  "  Sir,"  replied  the 
crier,  "  I  tell  you  the  truth,  and  with  the  leave  of  the  master  of 
this  store  we  will  go  into  the  back  warehouse,  and  spread  the 
carpet,  and  sit  down  upon  it.  Then  when  you  form  a  wish  to  be 
carried  to  your  apartment  at  the  khan,  if  we  are  not  there  in  an 
instant,  it  shall  be  no  bargain. ' ' 

They  then  went  into  the  merchant's  back  shop,  where  they  both 
sat  down  on  the  piece  of  carpet,  and  as  soon  as  the  prince  formed 
his  wish  to  be  carried  into  his  apartment  at  the  khan,  he  in  an 
instant  found  himself  and  the  crier  there.  After  this  proof  of 
the  power  of  the  carpet,  he  counted  to  the  crier  forty  purses  of 
gold,  and  gave  him  twenty  pieces  for  himself. 

Prince  Houssain  was  overjoyed  that  he  had  so  soon  found  so 
rare  a  curiosity.  He  felt  sure  that  it  would  gain  him  the  possession 
of  Nouronnihar,  as  his  younger  brothers,  he  thought,  could  not 
find  anything  to  be  compared  with  it.  It  was  in  his  power,  by 
sitting  on  this  carpet,  to  be  at  the  place  of  meeting  that  very 
day,  but  as  he  would  have  to  wait  there  for  his  brothers,  he  pre- 
ferred to  make  a  longer  stay  in  Bisnagar.  He  passed  his  time  in 
viewing  the  wonders  of  the  city.  Among  the  objects  which  were 
most  worthy  of  admiration,  he  visited  a  temple  built  entirely  of 
brass.  Its  greatest  ornament  was  a  statue  the  height  of  a  man, 
of  massive  gold,  the  eyes  of  which  were  two  rubies,  set  so 


1 89 

that  it  seemed  to  look  at  those  who  viewed  it,  on  whatever  side 
they  turned. 

When  Prince  Houssain  had  seen  all  the  wonders  of  Bisnagar, 
he  desired  to  be  nearer  home,  and  so  he  took  the  carpet  and 
spread  it,  and  he  and  his  officer  sat  down  upon  it.  In  a  moment 
after  expressing  their  wish,  they  were  carried  to  the  khan  at 
which  the  brothers  were  to  meet,  and  there  the  prince  passed 
for  a  merchant  till  the  arrival  of  the  others. 


PRINCE  ALI  AND  THE  IVORY  TUBE. 

Prince  AH,  the  second  brother,  after  he  parted  with  Houssain 
and  Ahmed,  joined  a  caravan  going  to  Persia,  and  in  four 
months  arrived  at  Shiraz,  the  capital  of  that  kingdom.  On 
the  next  morning  after  his  arrival,  while  the  merchants  of  the 
caravan  were  opening  their  bales  of  merchandise,  Prince  AH 
took  a  walk  into  that  quarter  of  the  town  where  they  sold 
precious  stones,  goods  in  gold  and  silver,  brocades,  silks,  fine 
linens,  and  other  choice  and  valuable  articles,  for  which  Shiraz 
was  celebrated. 

Among  the  criers  who  passed  backwards  and  forwards  with 
samples  of  several  sorts  of  goods,  there  was  one  who  held  in  his 
hand  an  ivory  tube  about  a  foot  long  and  an  inch  thick.  The  crier 
cried  out  that  the  price  of  the  tube  was  forty  purses.  The 
prince  thought  he  was  mad,  and  asked  him  what  he  meant  by 
asking  forty  purses  for  what  seemed  to  be  a  thing  of  no  value. 
The  crier  replied,  "  Sir,  you  are  not  the  only  person  that  takes 
me  for  a  madman  on  account  of  this  tube.  You  shall  judge  for 
yourself  whether  I  am  or  not,  when  I  tell  you  its  power.  By 
looking  through  this  tube  you  can  see  whatever  object  you  wish 
to  see. ' '  The  crier  then  handed  the  tube  to  the  prince,  and  he 
looked  through  it,  wishing  at  the  same  time  to  see  the  sultan  his 
father.  Immediately  he  saw  him,  sitting  on  his  throne,  in  the 
midst  of  his  council.  Next  he  wished  to  see  the  Princess  Nou- 


190 

ronnihar,  and  instantly  he  beheld  her  laughing  and  talking  with 
her  women  attendants  who  were  about  her. 

Prince  AH  needed  no  other  proof  to  satisfy  him  that  this  tube 
was  the  most  valuable  article  in  the  world,  so  he  took  the  crier  to 
the  khan  where  he  lodged,  counted  him  out  the  money,  and  re- 
ceived the  tube.  He  was  overjoyed  at  his  purchase.  He  felt 
certain  that  his  brothers  would  not  be  able  to  get  anything  so 
rare  and  admirable,  and  that  he  would  win  the  Princess  Nouron- 
nihar.  He  thought  now  only  of  returning  home,  and  when  the 
caravan  was  leaving  Shiraz,  he  joined  the  party  of  merchants 
with  whom  he  had  before  traveled.  He  arrived  happily  without 
any  accident  or  trouble  at  the  place  appointed,  where  he  found 
Prince  Houssain,  and  both  waited  for  their  brother  Prince  Ahmed. 

PRINCE  AHMED  AND  THE  APPLE. 

Prince  Ahmed  took  the  road  to  Samarcand,  and  the  day  after 
his  arrival  in  that  city,  he  went  into  the  market  place.  Here  he 
heard  a  crier,  who  had  an  artificial  apple  in  his  hand,  cry  it 
at  five-and-thirty  purses.  The  prince  stopped  the  crier,  and 
said  to  him,  "  Let  me  see  that  apple,  and  tell  me  what  virtue  it 
possesses,  to  be  worth  so  much  money  as  you  ask  for  it." 
"  Sir,"  replied  the  crier,  giving  it  into  his  hand,  "  this  apple  is 
not  very  remarkable,  judged  by  its  appearance,  but  if  you  con- 
sider what  it  can  do,  you  will  say  it  is  most  valuable,  and  that  he 
who  possesses  it  is  master  of  a  great  treasure.  It  cures  all  sick 
persons  of  every  disease,  and  even  if  the  patient  is  dying,  it  will 
restore  him  to  perfect  health  merely  by  smelling  it. "  "If  one 
may  believe  you,"  replied  Prince  Ahmed,  "  the  apple  is  wonder- 
ful, and  is  indeed  most  valuable,  but  how  am  I  to  know  that 
what  you  say  is  true  ?  "  "Sir,"  replied  the  crier,  "  What  I  tell 
you  is  known  to  the  whole  city  of  Samarcand.  Ask  these  mer- 
chants you  see  in  the  stores  and  hear  what  they  say.  Several  of 
them  will  tell  you  that  they  would  not  be  alive  to-day  if  they  had 
not  made  use  of  this  apple. ' ' 


While  the  crier  was  talking  to  Prince  Ahmed  many  persons 
gathered  round,  and  one  of  them  said  that  he  had  a  friend  danger- 
ously ill,  whose  life  was  despaired  of.  Here  was  an  opportunity 
to  show  what  the  apple  could  do,  so  Prince  Ahmed  told  the  crier 
that  he  would  give  him  forty  purses  for  it  if  it  cured  the  sick 
person  by  smelling  it.  "Come,  sir,"  said  the  crier  to  Prince 
Ahmed,  "  let  us  go  and  make  the  trial,  and  the  apple  shall  be 
yours."  They  immediately  went  to  the  sick  man,  who,  the 
moment  he  smelled  the  apple,  was  perfectly  cured,  and  got  up 
and  walked  about,  as  well  as  ever.  At  once  the  prince  counted 
out  the  money  to  the  crier,  and  took  the  apple. 

He  then  spent  some  time  in  seeing  all  that  was  worth  seeing 
in  and  around  Samarcand,  and  principally  the  valley  of  Sogd, 
which  is  considered  by  the  Arabians  to  be  one  of  the  four  para- 
dises of  the  world,  because  of  the  beauty  of  its  fields,  gardens, 
and  palaces.  Soon  afterwards  he  joined  a  caravan  that  was  about 
to  set  out  for  India,  and  he  arrived  safely  at  the  khan  where  the 
Princes  Houssain  and  Ali  waited  for  him. 


CONTINUATION  OF  THE   STORY  OF  PRINCE  AHMED  AND 
THE  FAIRY  PERIE  BANOU. 

When  Prince  Ahmed  joined  his  brothers,  they  embraced  with 
tenderness,  and  complimented  one  another  on  the  happiness  of 
meeting  together  in  safety  at  the  same  place  they  had  set  out 
from.  Houssain,  the  eldest  brother,  then  said,  "  Brothers,  we 
shall  have  time  enough  hereafter  to  describe  our  travels.  Let  us 
come  to  that  which  is  of  the  greatest  importance  for  us  to  know, 
and  not  conceal  from  each  other  the  curiosities  we  have  brought, 
but  sho^  them,  that  we  may  ourselves  judge  which  of  them  our 
father  will  think  the  best.  The  curiosity  I  have  brought  from 
the  kingdom  of  Bisnagar  is  the  carpet  on  which  I  sit.  It  looks 
nothing  more  than  an  ordinary  piece  of  carpet,  but  its  power  is 
wonderful.  Whoever  sits  on  it,  and  wishes  to  be  carried  to  any 


place,  no  matter  how  distant,  is  immediately  carried  there.  It 
was  on  it  that  I  and  my  attendant  came  here  from  Bisnagar,  and 
we  performed  the  journey  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  I  paid 
forty  purses  for  it,  and  I  think  you  will  allow  that  it  is  value  for 
the  money.  I  expect  now  that  you  will  tell  me  whether  what 
you  have  brought  is  to  be  compared  with  this  carpet." 

Prince  AH  next  spoke.  "  I  must  own,  brother,"  said  he, 
"  that  your  carpet  is  a  most  surprising  curiosity.  But  you  will 
allow  that  there  may  be  other  rarities  at  least  as  wonderful. 
Here  is  an  ivory  tube,  which  appears  to  the  eye  no  more  a  curi- 
osity than  your  carpet.  It  cost  me  forty  purses,  and  I  am  as 
well  satisfied  with  my  purchase  as  you  are  with  yours;  for  on 
looking  through  this  tube  you  can  see  whatever  object  you  wish 
to  behold.  I  would  not  have  you  take  my  word  for  proof," 
added  Prince  Ali,  presenting  the  tube  to  Houssain;  "  there  it  is; 
make  trial  of  it  yourself. ' ' 

Houssain  took  the  ivory  tube  from  Prince  Ali,  and  looked 
through  it,  at  the  same  time  expressing  a  wish  to  see  the  Princess 
Nouronnihar.  Ali  and  Ahmed  kept  their  eyes  fixed  upon  him, 
and  were  extremely  surprised  to  see  his  face  suddenly  show  signs 
of  extraordinary  alarm  and  trouble.  Prince  Houssain  did  not  give 
them  time  to  ask  what  was  the  matter,  but  cried  out,  "Alas! 
princes,  what  was  the  good  of  our  long  and  fatiguing  journeys, 
with  the  hope  of  being  rewarded  by  obtaining  the  charming  Nou- 
ronnihar, when  in  a  few  moments  that  lovely  princess  will  breathe 
her  last !  I  have  just  seen  her  in  bed,  surrounded  by  her  women, 
all  in  tears,  who  seem  to  expect  her  death.  Take  the  tube,  see  for 
yourselves  the  miserable  state  she  is  in,  and  mingle  your  tears 
with  mine."  Prince  Ali  took  the  tube  and  saw  the  princess  as 
Houssain  had  described ;  then  he  gave  the  tube  to  Ahmed,  who, 
when  he  saw  that  the  Princess  Nouronnihar 's  end  was  so  near, 
addressed  his  two  brothers,  and  said,  "  Princes,  the  Princess 
Nouronnihar,  whom  we  all  equally  love,  is  indeed  just  at  death's 
door,  but  if  we  make  haste  and  lose  no  time,  we  may  preserve 
her  life.  This  apple  which  you  see,  cost  the  same  sum  as  the 


193 

carpet  and  the  tube.  It  has  a  wonderful  power.  Its  smell  will 
restore  a  sick  person  to  perfect  health,  whatever  be  the  disease. 
I  have  tried  it,  and  can  show  you  its  wonderful  effect  on  the 
Princess  Nouronnihar,  if  we  hasten  to  assist  her."  "  If  that  be 
all,"  replied  Prince  Houssain,  "  we  cannot  make  more  haste  than 
by  carrying  ourselves  instantly  into  her  chamber  by  means  of  my 
carpet.  Come,  lose  no  time,  sit  down;  it  is  large  enough  to 
hold  us  all." 

Without  delay  the  Princes  Ali  and  Ahmed  sat  down  by  Hous- 
sain, and,  all  expressing  the  same  wish,  they  were  in  a  moment 
transported  into  the  Princess  Nouronnihar 's  chamber.  The 
presence  of  the  three  princes,  who  were  so  little  expected, 
alarmed  the  princess's  women  and  guards,  who  could  not  under- 
stand how  three  men  should  be  so  suddenly  among  them,  for 
they  did  not  know  them  at  first.  The  guards  were  ready  to  fall 
upon  them,  as  people  who  had  got  into  a  part  of  the  palace 
where  they  were  not  allowed  to  come ;  but  they  soon  found  their 
mistake.  Prince  Ahmed  quickly  rose  off  the  carpet,  went  to  the 
bedside  of  the  princess,  and  put  the  apple  to  her  nostrils.  She 
instantly  opened  her  eyes,  and  sitting  up,  asked  to  be  dressed, 
just  as  if  she  had  awakened  in  the  morning  out  of  a  sound 
.  sleep.  Her  women  informed  her  that  she  was  obliged  to  the 
three  princes  her  cousins,  and  particularly  to  Prince  Ahmed,  for 
the  sudden  recovery  of  her  health.  She  immediately  expressed 
her  joy  at  seeing  them,  and  thanked  them  all  together,  but  after- 
wards Prince  Ahmed  in  particular.  As  she  desired  to  dress,  the 
princes  contented  themselves  with  telling  her  how  great  a  pleas- 
ure it  was  to  them  to  have  come  soon  enough  to  save  her  from 
the  danger  she  was  in,  and  then  they  retired. 

While  the  princess  was  dressing,  the  princes  went  to  see  the 
sultan  their  father.  When  they  came  to  him,  they  found  that  he 
had  been  informed  of  their  unexpected  arrival,  and  by  what 
means  the  princess  had  been  so  suddenly  cured.  He  received  and 
embraced  them  with  the  greatest  joy,  both  for  their  return  and 
for  the  wonderful  recovery  of  the  princess  his  niece,  whom  he 

ARABIAN  NIGHTS — 13 


i94 

loved  as  if  she  were  his  own  daughter.  The  princes  then  pre- 
sented to  him  the  curiosities  they  had  brought, —  Prince  Houssain 
his  carpet,  Prince  Ali  his  ivory  tube,  and  Prince  Ahmed  his  apple, 
and  they  begged  of  him  to  declare  to  which  of  them  he  would 
give  the  Princess  Nouronnihar,  according  to  his  promise; 

The  sultan  of  India,  having  heard  all  that  the  princes  had  to 
say  in  favor  of  their  curiosities,  remained  for  some  time  silent, 
considering  what  answer  he  should  make.  At  last,  addressing 
them,  he  said,  "  I  would  declare  for  one  of  you,  my  sons,  if 
I  could  do  it  with  justice.  It  is  true,  Ahmed,  the  princess  my 
niece  is  obliged  to  your  wonderful  apple  for  her  cure,  but  let  me 
ask  you  whether  you  could  have  cured  her  if  you  had  not  known 
by  Ali's  tube  the  danger  she  was  in,  and  if  Houssain's  carpet  had 
not  brought  you  to  her  so  soon  ?  Your  tube,  Ali,  made  you  and 
your  brothers  aware  of  the  illness  of  your  cousin,  but  you  must 
grant  that  the  knowledge  of  her  illness  would  have  been  of  no 
service  without  the  apple  and  the  carpet.  And  as  for  you, 
Houssain,  your  carpet  would  have  been  of  little  use  if  you  had 
not  known  of  her  illness  by  Ali's  tube,  or  if  Ahmed  had  not  used 
his  apple.  Therefore,  as  the  carpet,  the  ivory  tube,  and  the 
apple  have  no  preference  over  each  other,  but  on  the  contrary, 
as  each  had  an  equal  share  in  her  cure,  I  cannot  grant  the  prin- 
cess to  any  one  of  you.  But  I  will  try  another  plan  to  settle  this 
matter,  and  I  will  do  it  to-day.  Let  each  of  you  get  a  bow  and 
arrow,  and  go  to  the  plain  where  the  horses  are  exercised. 
I  will  soon  join  you,  and  I  will  give  the  Princess  Nouronnihar  to 
him  who  shoots  the  farthest." 

The  three  princes  had  no  objection  to  the  decision  of  the  sul- 
tan. They  each  provided  themselves  with  a  bow  and  arrow,  and 
went  to  the  plain  appointed,  followed  by  a  great  number  of 
people.  As  soon  as  the  sultan  arrived,  Prince  Houssain,  being 
the  eldest,  took  his  bow  and  arrow,  and  shot  first.  Prince  Ali 
shot  next,  and  his  arrow  went  further  than  that  of  Houssain. 
Prince  Ahmed  then  shot,  but  nobody  could  see  where  his  arrow 
fell,  and  though  he  and  all  the  people  who  were  present  searched 


195 

for  it,  they  could  not  find  it.  It  was  evident  that  he  had 
shot  the  farthest,  but  as  his  arrow  could  not  be  found,  the 
sultan  decided  in  favor  of  Prince  Ali,  and  he  and  the  Princess 
Nouronnihar  were  married  a  few  days  afterwards  with  great 
magnificence. 

Prince  Houssain's  grief  was  so  great  that  he  left  the  palace, 
and,  giving  up  all  right  to  the  crown,  became  a  dervise.  Prince . 
Ahmed  was  also  much  grieved,  but  he  did  not  retire  from  the 
world  like  his  elder  brother.  He  was  still  greatly  troubled  about 
his  arrow,  and  he  resolved  to  find  out  where  it  had  gone.  With 
this  object  he  went  to  the  place  where  the  arrows  of  Houssain 
and  Ali  were  picked  up,  and  proceeding  straight  forward  from 
there,  he  looked  carefully  on  both  sides  as  he  advanced.  He 
went  so  far  that  at  last  he  began  to  think  his  labor  was  in  vain, 
yet  he  felt  compelled  to  proceed,  and  he  did  so  till  he  came  to 
some  steep,  craggy  rocks  which  prevented  further  progress.  At 
the  foot  of  these  rocks  he  found  an  arrow,  which,  to  his  great 
astonishment,  he  saw  was  the  very  arrow  he  had  shot.  "  Cer- 
tainly, ' '  said  he  to  himself,  ' '  neither  I,  nor  any  man  living,  could 
shoot  an  arrow  so  far.  There  must  be  some  mystery  in  this." 

He  then  began  to  look  about,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  saw  an 
iron  door  which  seemed  to  be  locked.  But  on  pushing  against  the 
door,  it  opened,  and  the  prince  saw  a  staircase  down  which  he 
walked,  with  his  arrow  in  his  hand.  At  first  he  thought  he  was 
going  into  a  dark  place,  but  immediately  he  was  surrounded  by 
light,  and  he  found  that  he  was  in  front  of  a  magnificent  palace. 
At  the  same  instant,  a  lady  of  majestic  air  and  great  beauty, 
dressed  in  rich  robes  sparkling  with  jewels,  appeared  before  him. 
She  was  attended  by  a  troop  of  maidens,  all  magnificently  dressed. 
As  soon  as  Ahmed  saw  her,  he  hastened  to  pay  his  respects,  but 
the  lady,  addressing  him  first,  said,  "  Enter,  Prince  Ahmed;  you 
are  welcome." 

After  these  words,  the  lady  led  Prince  Ahmed  into  a  noble 
hall.  She  then  sat  down  on  a  sofa,  and  when  the  prince,  at  her 
request,  seated  himself  near  her,  she  said,  "  You  know,  as  the 


196 

Koran  states,  that  the  world  is  inhabited  by  genies  as  well  as 
men.  I  am  Perie  Banou,  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  pow- 
erful of  these  genies.  I  know  about  your  love  and  your  travels. 
The.  artificial  apple,  which  you  bought  at  Samarcand,  the  carpet 
which  Prince  Houssain  purchased  at  Bisnagar,  and  the  tube 
which  Prince  AH  brought  from  Shiraz,  were  of  my  contrivance. 
You  seemed  to  me  to  be  worthy  of  a  happier  lot  than  to  marry 
the  Princess  Nouronnihar,  and,  that  you  might  have  it,  I  caused 
your  arrow  to  fly  out  of  sight,  and  to  strike  against  the  rocks 
near  which  you  found  it.  It  is  in  your  power  now  to  make  your- 
self happy." 

As  the  fairy  Perie  Banou  said  these  words  in  an  affectionate 
tone,  the  prince  replied,  "  Should  I  have  the  fortune  of  making 
you  the  partner  of  my  life,  I  shall  think  myself  the  happiest  of 
men."  "  Then,"  answered  the  fairy,  "  you  shall  be  my  hus- 
band, and  I  will  give  orders  for  the  preparation  of  our  marriage 
and  our  wedding  feast  this  evening.  In  the  mean  while  I  will 
show  you  the  apartments  of  my  palace. ' ' 

The  fairy  then  led  Ahmed  through  the  grand  rooms  of  the 
palace,  where  he  saw  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  and  all  sorts  of 
fine  jewels,  together  with  the  richest  furniture  arranged  in  the 
most  elegant  fashion.  At  last  he  entered  the  hall  where  the 
cloth  was  laid  for  the  feast.  It  was  adorned  with  a  great  num- 
ber of  wax  candles  perfumed  with  amber.  A  large  sideboard 
was  set  out  with  all  sorts  of  gold  plate,  so  finely  wrought  that  the 
workmanship  was  much  more  valuable  than  the  weight  of  the 
gold.  In  this  hall  the  prince  and  the  fairy  Perie  Banou  were 
married,  and  then  they  sat  down  to  the  feast,  which  was  accom- 
panied by  a  concert  of  music,  the  finest  that  the  prince  had  ever 
heard.  The  fairy  served  Prince  Ahmed  with  most  delicious  meats, 
the  like  of  which  he  had  never  before  tasted.  After  the  dessert, 
which  was  of  the  choicest  fruits  and  preserves,  the  fairy  Perie 
and  Prince  Ahmed  rose  and  went  to  a  dais,  at  the  end  of  a  hall, 
where  they  sat  upon  cushions  of  fine  silk,  beautifully  embroid- 
ered. Then  a  great  number  of  genies  and  fairies  danced  before 


I97 

them,  and  at  last  divided  themselves  into  two  rows,  through 
which  the  prince  and  the  Perie  passed  to  their  chamber. 

Every  day  spent  with  the  fairy  Perie  was  a  continued  feast,  for 
every  day  she  provided  new  delicacies,  new  concerts,  new  dances, 
new  shows,  and  new  amusements  of  every  kind.  These  were  all 
so  pleasing  to  Prince  Ahmed  that  in  a  thousand  years  among 
human  beings  he  could  not  have  experienced  equal  enjoyment. 

At  the  end  of  six  months,  the  prince  felt  a  great  desire  to  visit 
the  sultan  his  father,  and  know  how  he  was.  He  mentioned  his 
wish  to  Perie  Banou,  but  she  was  much  alarmed,  lest  this  was  an 
excuse  to  leave  her,  and  she  begged  him  not  to  go.  "  My 
queen,"  replied  the  prince,  "  I  did  not  make  the  request  with 
any  intention  of  displeasing  you,  but  through  respect  for  my 
father,  who,  as  I  have  reason  to  think,  believes  that  I  am  dead. 
But  as  you  do  not  like  that  I  should  go,  I  will  deny  myself  the 
pleasure,  for  there  is  nothing  I  would  not  do  to  please  you." 

In  the  mean  while,  the  sultan  of  India  was  deeply  distressed  at 
the  absence  of  the  two  princes  his  sons.  He  was  soon,  however, 
informed  of  the  resolution  Prince  Houssain  had  taken  to  forsake 
the  world,  and  as  he  knew  that  he  was  alive  and  well  he  was  not 
so  troubled  about  him.  But  he  did  not  know  where  Prince 
Ahmed  was,  and  therefore  he  gave  orders  that  a  search  should  be 
made  for  him  throughout  all  his  dominions.  He  sent  messengers 
to  the  governors  of  all  the  provinces  of  India,  with  directions  to 
stop  the  prince  should  he  be  found,  and  compel  him  to  return  to 
his  father's  court. 

But  all  was  of  no  use.  Ahmed  could  not  be  found  and  nobody 
could  tell  where  he  was.  At  last  the  grand  vizier  advised  the 
sultan  to  ask  the  help  of  a  sorceress.  The  sultan  consented,  and 
a  sorceress  was  sent  for.  When  she  came-  before  the  sultan,  he 
said  to  her,  "  Canst  thou  tell  me  by  thy  art  and  skill  what  is 
become  of  Prince  Ahmed,  my  son  ?  If  he  be  alive,  where  is  he  ? 
What  is  he  doing  ?  May  I  hope  ever  to  see  him  again  ?  ' ' 
"  Sire;"  replied  the  sorceress,  "  if  you  will  allow  me  till  to-mor- 
row, I  will  endeavor  to  satisfy  you."  The  sultan  granted  her 


198 

the  time,  and  promised  to  reward  her  well.  The  sorceress  re- 
turned the  next  day,  and  said  to  the  sultan,  "  Sire,  I  have  not 
been  able  to  find  out  anything  more  than  that  Prince  Ahmed  is 
alive,  but  as  to  where  he  is  I  cannot  discover."  The  sultan  was 
obliged  to  remain  satisfied  with  this  answer,  which  somewhat 
relieved  his  anxiety,  as  it  made  him  believe  that  his  son  was  not 
dead. 

Prince  Ahmed,  meanwhile,  kept  to  his  resolution  not  again  to 
ask  permission  to  leave  the  fairy  Perie  Banou,  but  she  saw  by  his 
frequent  talk  about  his  father  that  he  still  wished  to  see  him. 
She  therefore  resolved  to  grant  him  the  permission  she  knew  he 
so  much  desired,  and  one  day  she  said  to  him,  "  Prince,  as  I  am 
now  fully  satisfied  that  I  can  depend  on  your  love,  I  grant  you 
leave  to  visit  the  sultan  your  father  on  condition  that  your  ab- 
sence shall  not  be  long.  You  can  go  when  you  please,  but  let 
me  give  you  some  advice  how  you  shall  conduct  yourself.  Do 
not  inform  your  father  of  our  marriage,  or  of  the  place  of  our 
residence.  Beg  of  him  to  be  content  with  knowing  that  you  are 
happy,  and  that  the  object  of  your  visit  is  to  make  him  easy  in 
his  mind  regarding  you."  She  then  ordered  twenty  horsemen 
to  attend  him  on  his  journey.  For  himself  a  magnificent  horse 
was  brought  out,  with  saddle  and  bridle  of  gold  and  silver,  orna- 
mented with  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones.  Prince  Ahmed 
mounted  this  horse,  and  after  bidding  farewell  to  the  fairy  Perie, 
he  set  out,  accompanied  by  the  twenty  horsemen. 

As  it  was  no  great  distance,  the  prince  soon  arrived  at  his 
father's  capital.  The  people  received  him  joyfully  and  followed 
him  in  crowds  to  the  palace.  His  father  embraced  him  with 
great  affection,  complaining  at  the  same  time  of  the  grief  his 
long  absence  had  caused  him.  ' '  Sire, ' '  replied  Prince  Ahmed, 
"  I  was  pained  to  have  to  give  up  the  Princess  Nouronnihar  to 
my  brother  AH,  and  I  felt  that  my  arrow,  though  it  could  not  be 
found,  had  gone  beyond  his.  I  resolved  to  find  it,  and  I  there- 
fore left  my  attendant,  and  returned  alone  to  look  for  it.  After 
having  gone  several  miles  I  saw  an  arrow,  and  I  knew  it  to  be 


199 

the  same  which  I  had  lost.  Far  from  blaming  you  for  declaring 
in  favor  of  my  brother  Ali,  I  never  doubted  that  there  was  a  mys- 
tery in  what  had  happened.  But  as  to  this  mystery,  I  beg  you 
will  not  be  offended  if  I  remain  silent,  and  that  you  will  be  con- 
tent to  know  from  my  own  mouth  that  I  am  happy.  To  tell  you 
this,  and  to  relieve  your  anxiety,  is  what  brought  me  here. 
I  must  now  return,  and  the  only  favor  I  ask  is  your  leave  to  occa- 
sionally visit  you  and  inquire  after  your  health."  "Son," 
answered  the  sultan,  "  I  have  no  wish  to  inquire  into  your  secret. 
I  tell  you  that  your  presence  has  given  me  a  pleasure  I  have  not 
felt  for  a  long  time.  You  shall  always  be  welcome  when  you  can 
come  to  visit  me. ' ' 

Prince  Ahmed  stayed  three  days  at  his  father's  court,  and  on 
the  fourth  returned  to  the  fairy  Perie  Banou,  who  received  him 
with  great  joy.  At  the  end  of  a  month  after  the  prince's  return, 
the  fairy,  no  longer  doubting  his  love  for  her,  proposed  herself 
that  he  should  pay  another  visit  to  his  father.  "  It  is  a  month," 
she  said,  "  since  you  have  seen  the  sultan  your  father.  I  think 
you  should  not  be  longer  in  renewing  your  visits.  Go  to  him  to- 
morrow, and  after  that,  visit  him  once  a  month,  without  waiting 
for  my  permission." 

Prince  Ahmed  went  the  next  morning  with  the  same  attend- 
ants as  before,  but  much  more  magnificently  mounted  and  dressed, 
and  was  received  by  the  sultan  with  the  same  joy  and  satisfac- 
tion. For  several  months  he  constantly  paid  him  visits,  and  every 
time  in  a  richer  and  more  brilliant  style.  At  last  the  sultan's 
viziers,  who  judged  of  Prince  Ahmed's  power  by  the  splendor  of 
his  appearance,  began  to  try  to  make  the  father  jealous  of  his 
son.  They  told  him  that  he  ought  to  discover  where  the  prince 
resided,  and  how  he  could  afford  to  live  so  magnificently.  He 
seemed,  they  said,  to  come  to  court  only  to  insult  his  father  by 
his  display  of  grandeur,  and  to  gain  the  people's  favor,  so  as  to 
get  the  throne  himself. 

When  they  said  these  things  to  the  sultan,  he  answered,  "I  do 
not  believe  my  son  Ahmed  would  act  as  you  think,  but  I  am 


2OO 

obliged  to  you  for  your  advice."  He  said  this  that  they  might 
not  know  that  he  was  disturbed  in  his  mind  about  what  they  told 
him.  He  was,  however,  so  much  alarmed  that  he  resolved  to 
have  Prince  Ahmed  watched.  With  this  object  he  sent  privately 
for  the  sorceress,  who  came  by  a  secret  door  into  his  own  room. 
"  You  told  me  the  truth,"  said  he,  "  when  you  informed  me 
that  my  son  Ahmed  was  alive.  He  now  comes  to  my  court  every 
month,  but  I  cannot  learn  from  him  where  he  resides.  I  believe 
you  can  discover  this  secret.  He  is  with  me  at  the  present  time, 
and  will  depart  in  the  morning,  without  taking  leave  of  me  or 
any  of  my  court.  I  wish  you  to  watch  him  so  as  to  find  out 
where  he  goes,  and  bring  me  information. ' '  The  sorceress  left 
the  sultan,  and  learning  by  her  art  the  place  where  Prince  Ahmed 
had  found  his  arrow,  she  went  immediately  there,  and  concealed 
herself  near  the  rocks  so  as  not  to  be  seen. 

Next  morning  Prince  Ahmed  set  out  by  daybreak,  without  tak- 
ing leave  of  either  the  sultan  or  any  of  his  court.  The  sorceress 
saw  him  coming,  and  watched  him  and  his  attendants  till  she 
suddenly  lost  sight  of  them  in  the  rocks.  When  she  thought  that 
the  prince  and  his  attendants  must  have  far  advanced  into  what- 
ever place  they  inhabited,  she  came  out  and  searched  around  the 
spot  where  she  had  lost  sight  of  them,  but  could  find  nothing.  She 
then  returned  to  the  palace  and  told  the  sultan,  but  at  the  same 
time  said  to  him  that  she  did  not  despair  of  obtaining  the  infor- 
mation he  wished.  Knowing  the  time  when  Prince  Ahmed  would 
again  visit  his  father,  she  went  the  day  before  to  the  foot  of  the 
rock,  and  waited  there  to  carry  out  the  plan  she  had  formed. 

The  next  morning,  as  Prince  Ahmed  went  out  as  usual  at  the 
iron  gate,  with  his  attendants,  on  his  journey  to  the  capital,  he 
saw  a  woman  lying  with  her  head  on  the  rock,  and  complaining 
as  if  she  was  in  great  pain.  He  pitied  her,  turned  his  horse, 
and  said,  "  Good  woman,  I  will  assist  you,  and  take  you  where 
you  shall  be  soon  cured.  Rise,  and  let  one  of  my  people  carry 
you  behind  him." 

At  these  words  the  sorceress  moved  as  if  trying  to  rise,  pre- 


201 

tending  that  her  illness  prevented  her.  Two  of  the  prince's 
attendants  helped  her  up,  and  placed  her  behind  one  of  their 
companions.  They  then  followed  the  prince,  who  turned  back 
to  the  iron  gate,  which  was  opened  by  one  of  his  horsemen. 
When  he  came  into  the  outer  court  of  the  fairy's  palace,  he  sent 
to  tell  her  that  he  wanted  to  speak  with  her.  The  fairy  came 
with  great  haste,  and  Prince  Ahmed,  not  giving  her  time  to  ask 
any  questions,  said,  "  My  princess,  I  wish  you  to  have  pity  on 
this  good  woman.  I  recommend  her  to  your  care,  and  am  sure 
that  from  inclination,  as  well  as  because  of  my  request,  you  will 
not  abandon  her. ' ' 

The  fairy,  who  had  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  pretended  sick  wo- 
man all  the  time  the  prince  was  speaking,  ordered  two  of  her 
female  attendants  to  conduct  her  into  an  apartment  of  the  pal- 
ace, and  take  as  much  care  of  her  as  they  would  of  herself. 
While  the  attendants  were  doing  this,  the  fairy  went  up  to  Prince 
Ahmed,  and  whispering  in  his  ear,  said,  "  Prince,  I  commend 
your  good  nature,  which  is  worthy  of  you,  but  believe  me,  this 
woman  is  not  so  sick  as  she  pretends  to  be.  I  am  much  mis- 
taken if  she  is  not  sent  here  to  cause  you  great  trouble.  But  do 
not  be  uneasy.  I  will  save  you  from  all  the  snares  that  shall  be 
laid  for  you.  Go  and  pursue  your  journey."  These  words  of 
the  fairy  did  not  in  the  least  alarm  Prince  Ahmed.  "  My  prin- 
cess," said  he,  "  as  I  do  not  remember  that  I  ever  did  anybody 
an  injury,  I  cannot  believe  any  one  can  haye  a  thought  of  injuring 
me ;  but  even  so,  I  shall  not  forbear  doing  good  whenever  I  have 
an  opportunity."  So  saying,  he  took  leave  of  the  fairy,  and  set 
forward  again  for  his  father's  capital,  where  he  soon  arrived, 
and  was  received  as  usual  by  the  sultan. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  two  attendants  of  Perie  Banou  had  con- 
veyed the  sorceress  into  an  elegant  apartment,  richly  furnished. 
When  they  put  her  into  bed,  the  quilt  of  which  was  embroidered 
brocade,  and  the  coverlet,  cloth  of  gold,  one  of  the  women  went 
out,  and  returned  soon  with  a  china  cup  in  her  hand  containing 
a  certain  liquor,  which  she  presented  to  the  sorceress,  while  the 


2O2 

other  helped  her  to  sit  up.  "  Drink  this,"  said  the  attendant; 
"  it  is  the  water  of  the  fountain  of  lions.  You  will  find  the  good 
effect  of  it  in  less  than  an  hour's  time." 

The  two  attendants  returned  in  an  hour's  time,  and  found  the 
sorceress  seated  on  the  sofa.  When  she  saw  them  she  cried  out, 
"  Oh,  wonderful  liquor!  it  has  cured  me,  and  being  thus  cured 
as  by  a  miracle,  I  would  not  lose  time,  but  finish  my  journey." 

The  two  attendants  then  conducted  the  sorceress  through 
several  apartments  into  a  large  hall,  the  most  richly  and  magnifi- 
cently furnished  of  all  the  palace.  Perie  Banou  was  seated  in 
this  hall,  upon  a  throne  of  massive  gold,  enriched  with  diamonds, 
rubies,  and  pearls  of  an  extraordinary  size,  and  attended  by  a 
great  number  of  beautiful  fairies,  richly  dressed.  At  the  sight  of 
so  much  splendor,  the  sorceress  was  so  astonished  that  she  could 
not  open  her  lips  to  thank  the  fairy,  as  she  had  intended.  But 
Perie  Banou  saved  her  the  trouble,  and  said,  "  Good  woman,  I 
am  glad  I  had  an  opportunity  to  oblige  you,  and  that  you  are 
able  to  finish  your  journey.  I  will  not  detain  you.  But  perhaps 
you  may  wish  to  see  my  palace.  Follow  my  women,  and  they 
will  show  it  you."  The  old  sorceress,  who  had  not  power  or 
courage  to  say  a  word,  bowed  down  with  her  head  on  the  carpet 
that  covered  the  foot  of  the  throne,  took  her  leave,  and  was  then 
conducted  by  the  two  fairies  through  the  same  apartments  which 
were  shown  to  Prince  Ahmed  at  his  first  arrival.  They  at  last 
led  her  to  the  iron  gate,  opened  it,  and  wished  her  a  good 
journey. 

After  the  sorceress  had  gone  a  little  way,  she  turned  to  observe 
the  door,  that  she  might  know  it  again,  but  she  could  not  see  it. 
Then  she  went  away  to  the  sultan,  and  after  describing  to  him 
all  that  she  had  witnessed  in  the  fairy's  palace,  she  said,  "  What 
does  you  Majesty  think  of  these  unheard-of  riches  of  the  fairy? 
Perhaps  you  will  rejoice  at  the  good  fortune  of  Prince  Ahmed, 
your  son.  For  my  part,  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  the  misfor- 
tunes that  may  happen  to  you,  as  the  fairy  may  put  it  into  the 
head  of  your  son  to  dethrone  his  father,  and  seize  the  crown  of 


203 

the  Indies."  The  sultan  ordered  her  to  follow  him  into  the 
council  chamber.  After  he  had  informed  his  viziers  of  all  he 
had  learned,  and  of  his  fears  of  the  influence  of  the  fairy  over 
his  son,  one  of  them  said,  "  The  author  of  this  mischief  is  in 
your  Majesty's  power.  You  ought  to  put  him  under  arrest;  I 
will  not  say  take  away  his  life,  but  make  him  a  close  prisoner." 
Then  the  sorceress  asked  leave  to  speak,  and  she  said,  "  If  you 
arrest  the  prince,  you  must  also  arrest  his  attendants.  But  they 
are  all  genies.  Will  they  not  at  once  disappear,  by  the  power 
they  possess  of  making  themselves  invisible,  and  will  they  not  go 
instantly  to  the  fairy,  and  give  her  an  account  of  the  insult  offered 
to  her  husband  ?  And  can  it  be  supposed  that  she  will  let  it  go 
unrevenged  ?  Would  it  not  be  better  to  turn  the  prince's  position 
to  your  advantage,  by  putting  on  him  some  hard  task  ?  If  he 
performs  it,  he  will  benefit  you,  and  if  he  will  not  perform  it,  you 
will  have  an  excuse  for  arresting  him.  Request  the  prince  to  get 
you  a  tent  which  can  be  carried  in  a  man's  hand,  and  yet  be 
large  enough  to  shelter  your  whole  army. ' '  When  the  sorceress 
finished  her  speech,  the  sultan  asked  the  viziers  if  they  had  any- 
thing better  to  propose,  and  finding  them  all  silent,  he  deter- 
mined to  follow  her  advice. 

Next  day,  when  the  prince  came  into  his  father's  presence,  the 
sultan  said  to  him,  "  My  son,  I  am  glad  to  hear  of  your  marriage 
with  a  fairy  who  is  worthy  of  your  love.  I  make  one  request, — 
that  you  will  obtain  her  assistance  to  do  me  a  great  service. 
You  know  to  what  expense  I  am  put  to  provide  mules,  camels, 
and  other  beasts  of  burden,  to  carry  the  tents  of  myself  and  of 
my  army.  Now  I  am  certain  that  you  could  easily  procure  from 
the  fairy,  your  wife,  a  tent  that  might  be  carried  in  a  man's  hand, 
and  which  would  serve  for  my  whole  army.  Pray  oblige  me  by 
persuading  her  to  do  me  the  service  I  ask." 

Prince  Ahmed,  hearing  this  request,  was  at  a  loss  to  think 
what  answer  to  make.  At  last  he  replied,  "  Though  I  do  not 
know  how  you  have  found  it  out,  I  cannot  deny  that  the  infor- 
mation you  have  received  is  correct.  I  have  married  the  fairy. 


204 

As  to  what  you  speak  of,  I  shall  mention  to  her  your  desire,  and 
if  I  do  not  again  come  to  visit  you,  it  will  be  a  sign  that  I  have 
not  succeeded  in  obtaining  my  request. ' ' 

When  Prince  Ahmed  returned  to  the  fairy  palace,  the  Perie 
Banou  at  once  saw  that  there  was  some  trouble  on  his  mind,  and 
she  asked  the  cause  of  the  change  she  noticed  in  him.  After 
much  pressing,  Ahmed  told  her  that  the  sultan  had  found  out 
about  his  abode  and  his  marriage,  though  he  could  not  tell  by 
what  means.  The  fairy  reminded  him  of  the  old  woman  on 
whom  he  had  taken  pity,  and  said  that  she  was  the  spy,  and  had 
told  the  sultan  all  she  had  seen  and  heard.  "  But,"  said  she, 
"  there  is  something  else  which  is  the  cause  of  your  grief  and 
vexation."  "  Perie  Banou,"  said  Prince  Ahmed  at  last,  "  it  is 
so.  My  father  doubts  my  loyalty  to  him,  and  he  has  demanded 
of  me  to  get  for  him  from  you  a  tent  large  enough  to  shelter  him- 
self, his  officers,  and  his  army,  when  he  goes  to  war,  and  small 
enough  fora  man  to  carry  in  his  hand."  "  Prince,"  replied 
the  fairy,  smiling,  "  what  your  father  requests  is  a  trifle.  I  can 
do  him  more  important  service,  and  I  shall  always  take  pleasure 
in  performing  whatever  you  desire. ' '  Perie  Banou  then  sent  for 
one  of  her  female  attendants,  and  said  to  her,  "  Noorjehaun, " 
for  that  was  her  name,  "  bring  me  the  largest  tent  in  my  treas- 
ury." Noorjehaun  went  out  of  the  chamber,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes returned  with  a  small  case  concealed  in  the  palm  of  her 
hand,  and  presented  it  to  her  mistress,  who  gave  it  to  Prince 
Ahmed.  When  he  saw  the  small  case  which  the  fairy  called  the 
largest  tent  in  her  treasury,  he  thought  she  was  joking  him,  and 
seeing  this,  Perie  Banou  exclaimed,  "  What,  prince!  do  you 
think  I  jest  with  you  ?  You  will  see  that  I  am  in  earnest.  Noor- 
jehaun,"  said  she,  taking  the  tent  out  of  Prince  Ahmed's  hands, 
"  go  and  set  it  up,  that  he  may  judge  whether  the  sultan  his 
father  will  think  it  large  enough." 

Noorjehaun  went  out  immediately  with  it  from  the  palace, 
and,  after  carrying  it  to  some  distance,  set  it  up.  The  prince 
found  it  large  enough  to  shelter  two  armies,  each  as  large  as  that 


2O5 

of  his  father.  "  You  see,"  said  the  fairy,  that  the  tent  is  larger 
than  your  father  may  need,  but  you  are  to  observe  that,  when  set 
up,  it  becomes,  without  being  to'uched,  larger  or  smaller,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  the  army  it  is  to  cover."  Noorjehaun  then 
took  down  the  tent  again,  reduced  it  to  its  first  size,  and  brought 
it  and  put  it  into  the  prince's  hands.  Next  day  he  mounted  his 
horse  and  went  with  the  usual  attendants  to  the  sultan  his  father. 

The  sultan,  who  thought  that  the  tent  he  asked  could  not  be 
got,  was  greatly  surprised  at  the  prince's  speedy  return.  He 
took  the  tent,  and  after  wondering  at  its  smallness,  he  had  it  set 
up  in  the  great  plain  not  far  from  the  palace.  When  he  found 
it  large  enough  to  cover  with  ease  his  whole  army  he  was  much 
astonished.  He  expressed  his  thanks  to  his  son,  and  desired  him 
to  return  his  thanks  to  the  fairy,  and,  to  show  what  value  he  set 
upon  it,  he  ordered  the  tent  to  be  carefully  laid  up  in  his  treas- 
ury. But  in  his  secret  heart  he  felt  greater  jealousy  than  ever 
of  his  son,  fearing  that  by  the  fairy's  assistance  he  would  deprive 
him  of  his  throne.  Therefore  he  went  to  consult  the  sorceress 
again,  and  she  advised  him  to  request  the  prince  to  bring  him 
some  of  the  water  of  the  fountain  of  lions. 

The  sultan  resolved  to  do  this,  and  so  in  the  evening,  when  the 
prince  came  to  pay  his  respects,  he  addressed  him  in  these  words : 
"  Son,  I  have  already  expressed  to  you  how  thankful  I  am  for 
the  present  of  the  tent,  which  I  esteem  the  most  valuable  article 
in  my  treasury;  but  you  must  do  one  thing  more  for  me.  I  am 
informed  that  the  fairy  your  wife  makes  use  of  a  certain  water 
called  the  '  water  of  the  fountain  of  lions, '  which  cures  all  sorts 
of  diseases,  even  the  most  dangerous.  Now  I  am  sure  my  health 
is  dear  to  you,  and  I  do  not  doubt  that  you  will  ask  her  for  a 
bottle  of  that  water,  and  bring  it  to  me,  that  I  may  use  it  when  I 
have  need  of  it.  Do  me  this  service,  and  complete  the  duty  of 
a  good  son  towards  a  tender  father. ' ' 

Prince  Ahmed,  who  believed  that  his  father  would  have  been 
satisfied  with  so  useful  a  tent  as  that  he  had  brought,  and  that  he 
would  not  put  any  other  task  upon  him  which  might  cause  the 


2O6 

fairy's  displeasure,  was  thunderstruck  at  this  new  request.  After 
a  long  silence,  he  said,  "  I  assure  your  Majesty  that  there  is 
nothing  I  would  not  do  to  prolong  your  life,  but  I  cannot  promise 
to  bring  the  water.  All  I  can  do  is  to  assure  you  that  I  will  re- 
quest it  of  her,  though  I  am  as  sorry  to  have  to  trouble  her  as 
I  was  when  I  asked  for  the  tent." 

The  next  morning  Prince  Ahmed  returned  to  the  fairy  Perie 
Banou,  and,  after  informing  her  of  his  father's  new  request,  said, 
"  But,  my  princess,  I  only  tell  you  this  as  a  plain  account  of 
what  passed  between  me  and  my  father.  I  leave  you  to  your 
own  pleasure,  whether  you  will  grant  or  refuse  this  his  new  de- 
mand. It  shall  be  as  you  please."  "No,  no,"  replied  the 
fairy,  "  I  will  satisfy  the  sultan;  and  whatever  advice  the  sorceress 
may  give  him,  for  I  see  that  he  listens  to  her  counsel,  he  shall 
find  no  fault  with  you  or  me.  There  is  much  wickedness  in  this 
demand,  as  you  will  understand  by  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you. 
The  fountain  of  lions  is  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  court  of  a 
great  castle,  the  entrance  to  which  is  guarded  by  four  fierce  lions, 
two  of  which  sleep,  while  the  other  two  are  awake.  But  let  not 
that  frighten  you.  I  will  supply  you  with  means  to  pass  by  them 
without  danger." 

The  fairy  Perie  Banou  was  at  that  moment  at  work  with  her 
needle,  and  as  she  had  by  her  several  clews  of  thread,  she  took 
up  one,  and  presenting  it  to  Prince  Ahmed,  said,  "  First  take 
this  clew  of  thread;  I  will  tell  you  presently  the  use  of  it.  In 
the  second  place,  you  must  have  two  horses.  One  of  them  you 
must  ride  yourself.  The  other  you  must  lead,  and  it  must  be 
loaded  with  a  sheep  cut  into  four  quarters,  that  must  be  killed 
to-day.  In  the  third  place,  you  must  be  provided  with  a  bottle, 
which  I  will  give  you,  to  bring  the  water  in.  Set  out  early  to- 
morrow morning,  and  when  you  have  passed  the  iron  gate  of  this 
palace  throw  before  you  the  clew  of  thread,  which  will  roll  till  it 
reaches  the  gates  of  the  castle.  Follow  it,  and  when  it  stops,  as 
the  gates  will  be  open,  you  will  see  the  four  lions.  The  two  that 
are  awake  will,  by  their  roaring,  wake  the  other  two.  Be  not 


207 

alarmed,  but  throw  each  of  them  a  quarter  of  the  sheep,  and 
then  clap  spurs  to  your  horse,  and  ride  to  the  fountain.  Fill 
your  bottle  without  alighting,  and  return  with  the  sarrie  speed. 
The  lions  will  be  so  busy  eating  that  they  will  let  you  pass 
unmolested." 

Prince  Ahmed  set  out  the  next  morning  at  the  time  appointed 
by  the  fairy,  and  followed  her  directions  exactly.  As  soon  as  he 
arrived  at  the  gates  of  the  castle,  he  distributed  the  quarters  of 
the  sheep  among  the  four  lions,  and,  passing  quickly  to  the  foun- 
tain, filled  his  bottle,  and  came  safely  away.  When  he  had  got  a 
little  distance  from  the  castle  gates,  he  turned  about,  and  seeing 
two  of  the  lions  coming  after  him,  he  drew  his  sword,  and  pre- 
pared himself  for  defense.  But  immediately  he  saw  one  of  them 
turn  out  of  the  road  at  some  distance,  showing  by  his  head  and 
tail  that  he  did  not  come  to  do  him  any  harm,  but  only  to  go 
before  him,  and  he  saw  that  the  other  stayed  behind  to  follow. 
He  therefore  put  his  sword  again  into  its  scabbard.  Guarded  in 
this  manner  he  arrived  at  his  father's  capital,  and  the  lions  never 
left  him  till  they  had  conducted  him  to  the  gates  of  the  sultan's 
palace.  They  then  returned  the  way  they  had  come,  though  not 
without  alarming  the  people,  who  fled  or  hid  themselves  to  avoid 
them ;  but  the  lions  walked  gently  and  made  no  attempt  to  attack 
any  one. 

A  number  of  officers  came  to  attend  the  prince  while  he  dis- 
mounted, and  conduct  him  to  the  apartment  of  the  sultan,  who 
was  just  then  conversing  with  his  viziers.  The  prince  approached 
his  father,  laid  the  bottle  at  his  feet,  and  rising,  said,  "  I  have 
brought  you,  sire,  the  water  which  your  Majesty  so  much  desired, 
but  at  the  same  time  I  wish  you  such  health  that  you  may  never 
have  occasion  to  make  use  of  it."  The  sultan  was  again  much 
surprised  to  see  his  son  so  soon  back  with  what  he  had  de- 
manded of  him,  and  he  said  to  him,  ' '  Son,  I  am  much  obliged  to 
you  for  this  valuable  present,  and  for  the  great  danger  to  which 
you  have  exposed  yourself  on  my  account.  But  I  have  one  thing 
yet  to  ask  of  you,  after  which  I  shall  expect  nothing  more.  This 


Drawn  by  R.  B.  Birch, 

PRINCE  AHMED  AND  THE  LIONS. 
(208) 


209 

request  is,  to  bring  me  a  man  not  above  a  foot  am 

whose  beard  is  thirty  feet  long,  who  carries  upon  his  shoulders  a 

bar  of  iron  of  five  hundredweight,  and  who  can  speak." 

Next  day  the  prince  returned  to  Perie  Banou,  and  told  her  of 
his  father's  new  demand,  saying,  "  This  is  much  more  difficult 
to  obtain  than  the  others,  for  I  cannot  imagine  that  there  is 
such  a  man  in  the  world.  Without  doubt  my  father  seeks  my 
ruin,  but  if  there  are  any  means,  I  beg  you  will  tell  me  how  I 
may  come  off  with  honor  this  time  also. "  "  Do  not  alarm  your- 
self, prince,"  replied  the  fairy;  "  you  ran  a  risk  in  fetching  the 
water  of  the  fountain  of  lions  for  your  father,  but  there  is  no 
trouble  or  danger  in  finding  this  man.  He  is  my  brother  Schai- 
bar.  Though  we  both  had  the  same  father,  he  is  of  so  violent  a 
temper  that  he  gets  angry  at  the  slightest  offense;  yet  he  is  very 
good-natured  and  friendly  to  any  one  who  shows  him  a  kind- 
ness. I  will  send  for  him,  but  prepare  yourself  not  to  be  alarmed 
at  his  extraordinary  figure  and  appearance."  "'What  !  my 
queen, ' '  replied  Prince  Ahmed,  ' '  do  you  say  Schaibar  is  your 
brother  ?  Let  him  be  ever  so  ugly  or  deformed,  I  shall  love  and 
honor  him  on  your  accornt. " 

The  fairy  then  ordered  a  gold  chafing  dish  to  be  lighted  under 
the  porch  of  her  palace,  and  taking  some  incense,  she  threw  it 
into  the  fire,  whence  there  arose  a  thick  cloud  of  smoke.  Some 
moments  afterwards  she  said  to  Prince  Ahmed,  "  Prince,  there 
comes  my  brother;  do  you  see  him  ?  "  The  prince  immediately 
saw  Schaibar,  who,  as  he  came  forward,  looked  fiercely  at  him, 
and  asked  Perie  Banou  who  that  man  was.  She  replied,  "  His 
name  is  Ahmed;  he  is  a  son  of  the  sultan  of  India,  and  my 
husband.  I  did  not  invite  you,  brother,  to  my  wedding,  because 
you  were  at  the  time  in  a  distant  country,  but  on  my  husband's 
account  I  have  taken  the  liberty  now  to  call  for  you."  At  these 
words,  Schaibar,  looking  at  Prince  Ahmed,  said  in  an  agreeable 
tone,  '"'  It  is  enough  that  he  is  your  husband,  to  cause  me  to 
do  for  him  whatever  he  may  desire."  "  The  sultan  his  father," 
rejoined  Perie  Banou,  "  wishes  to  see  you,  and  he  will  be  your 

ARABIAN  NIGHTS —  14 


2IO 

guide  to  the  sultan's  court."  "  He  has  only  to  lead  the  way;  I 
will  follow  him, ' '  replied  Schaibar. 

Next  morning,  Schaibar  set  out  with  Prince  Ahmed  to  visit 
the  sultan.  When  they  arrived  at  the  gates  of  the  capital,  the 
people,  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  fierce-looking  little  man  with  the 
great  bar  of  iron  on  his  shoulder,  ran  and  hid  themselves  in  their 
shops  and  houses  and  shut  their  doors.  Schaibar  and  Prince 
Ahmed  went  along  till  they  came  to  the  palace,  and  the  guards 
ran  away  too,  so  that  the  prince  and  he  advanced  without  any 
obstacle  to  the  council  hall,  where  the  sultan  was  seated  on  his 
throne  surrounded  by  his  viziers  and  ministers.  Schaibar  haught- 
ily approached  the  throne,  and,  without  waiting  for  Prince  Ahmed 
to  introduce  him,  thus  addressed  the  sultan:  "  Thou  has  sent  for 
me.  What  dost  thou  wish  ?  ' '  The  sultan,  instead  of  answer- 
ing, put  his  hands  before  his  eyes,  terrified  at  so  dreadful  a  sight. 
Schaibar,  enraged  at  this  reception,  lifted  up  his  bar  of  iron,  and 
crying  out,  "  Wilt  thou  not  speak  then  ?  "  let  it  fall  directly  on 
his  head,  and  crushed  him  to  the  earth.  He  did  this  before 
Prince  Ahmed  had  time  to  interfere.  He  next  destroyed  the 
advisers  of  the  sultan  who  were  the  enemies  of  Prince  Ahmed, 
sparing  only  the  grand  vizier,  at  Prince  Ahmed's  earnest  request. 

Schaibar  then  left  the  hall,  and  went  into  the  middle  of  the 
court,  with  the  bar  of  iron  on  his  shoulder.  "  I  know,"  cried 
he,  looking  at  the  grand  vizier,  "  that  there  is  a  certain  sorceress 
who  stirred  up  the  sultan  to  demand  my  presence  here.  Let  her 
be  brought  before  me. ' '  The  grand  vizier  immediately  sent  for 
her,  and  the  moment  she  appeared,  Schaibar  crushed  her  with 
his  bar  of  iron,  saying,  ' '  Now  you  are  punished  for  giving  wicked 
advice,  and  pretending  sickness.  But  this  is  not  enough,"  con- 
tinued Schaibar;  "  Prince  Ahmed,  my  brother-in-law,  must  be 
acknowledged  as  sultan  of  India."  All  those  who  were  present 
cheerfully  assented,  and  they  made  the  air  resound  with  cries  of 
"  Long  live  Sultan  Ahmed,"  and  in  a  short  time  the  whole 
city  echoed  with  the  same  shouts.  Schaibar  next  made  the 
prince  put  on  the  robes  of  the  sultan,  after  which  he  had  him 


211 

installed.  He  then  went  for  his  sister,  Perie  Banou,  conducted 
her  to  the  city  in  great  pomp,  and  caused  her  to  be  acknowl- 
edged as  queen  of  India. 

Prince  Ahmed  gave  to  Prince  Ali  and  the  Princess  Nouronni- 
har  a  kingdom  for  themselves.  Afterwards  he  sent  an  officer  to 
Houssain  to  tell  him  of  what  had  happened,  and  to  make  him 
an  offer  of  a  kingdom.  But  Houssain  requested  the  officer  to 
convey  his  thanks  to  the  prince  his  brother,  and  to  say  that  the 
only  favor  he  desired  was  permission  to  remain  in  the  place  he 
had  chosen  for  his  retreat. 


STORY  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

In  the  reign  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid  there  lived  at 
Bagdad  a  poor  porter  called  Hindbad.  One  day,  when  the 
weather  was  very  hot,  he  was  employed  to  carry  a  heavy  burden 
from  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  other.  Being  much  fatigued, 
he  took  off  his  load  and  sat  upon  it,  near  a  large  house. 

He  was  much  pleased  that  he  had  stopped  at  this  place,  for 
he  heard  from  within  a  concert  of  instrumental  music  accom- 
panied by  the  sweet  notes  of  nightingales  and  other  birds.  The 
music,  and  the  smell  of  several  sorts  of  meats,  made  the  porter 
believe  that  there  was  a  feast,  with  great  rejoicings,  within.  His 
business  seldom  leading  him  that  way,  he  knew  not  to  whom  the 
house  belonged,  but  he  went  to  some  of  the  servants,  whom  he 
saw  standing  at  the  gate  in  fine  dress,  and  asked  the  name  of  the 
owner.  "  How?  "  replied  one  of  them;  "  do  you  live  in  Bag- 
dad, and  not  know  that  this  is  the  house  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor, 
the  famous  voyager,  who  has  sailed  round  the  world  ?  '  ' 

The  porter  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said,  loud  enough 
to  be  heard,  "  Almighty  Creator  of  all  things,  what  a  difference 
between  Sindbad  and  me  !  I  can  scarcely  get  coarse  barley  bread 
for  myself  and  my  family,  whilst  happy  Sindbad  has  immense 
riches,  and  leads  a  life  of  constant  pleasure.  What  has  he  done 


212 

to  get  from  Thee  a  lot  so  agreeable  ?  And  what  have  I  done  to 
deserve  one  so  wretched  ?  " 

Just  then  a  servant  came  out  of  the  house,  and,  taking  the 
porter  by  the  arm,  bade  him  come  in,  as  Sindbad  his  master 
wanted  to  speak  to  him.  The  servant  brought  him  into  a  great 
hall,  where  a  number  of  people  sat  round  a  table  covered  with 
all  sorts  of  good  things  for  eating.  At  the  upper  end  sat  a  ven- 
erable gentleman,  with  a  long  white  beard,  and  behind  him  stood 
a  number  of  attendants,  all  ready  to  wait  upon  him.  This  per- 
son was  Sindbad.  The  porter,  who  became  nervous  at  the  sight 
of  so  many  people  and  so  grand  a  banquet,  trembled  as  he 
saluted  the  company.  Sindbad  politely  bade  him  welcome, 
requested  him  to  draw  near,  and,  seating  him  at  his  right  hand, 
helped  him  plentifully  to  the  various  excellent  dishes  that  were 
upon  the  table. 

Now  Sindbad  had  heard  through  the  window  the  porter's  com- 
plaint, and  this  was  the  reason  why  he  had  him  brought  in. 
When  the  repast  was  over,  he  asked  what  was  his  name  and  em- 
ployment, and  said,  "  I  wish  to  hear  again  what  you  have  been 
saying  in  the  street. ' '  At  this  request  Hindbad  hung  down  his 
head  in  confusion,  and  replied,  "  My  lord,  I  confess  that  my 
fatigue  put  me  out  of  humor  and  caused  me  to  utter  some  foolish 
words,  which  I  beg  you  to  pardon."  "Do  not  think  that  I 
am  so  unjust,"  said  Sindbad,  "as  to  be  angry  at  such  a  com- 
plaint. But  I  must  correct  your  error  concerning  myself.  You 
suppose,  no  doubt,  that  I  have  got  without  labor  and  trouble 
the  wealth  which  I  now  possess.  But  do  not  mistake;  I  did  not 
reach  this  happy  condition  without  enduring,  for  several  years, 
more  trouble  of  body  and  mind  than  can  easily  be  imagined. 
Yes,  gentlemen,"  he  added,  addressing  himself  to  the  whole 
company,  "  I  assure  you  that  my  sufferings  have  been  extra- 
ordinary, and  my  experiences  of  such  a  nature  as  to  cure  the 
greatest  miser  of  his  love  of  riches;  and  as  an  opportunity  new 
offers,  I  will,  with  your  leave,  give  an  account  of  the  dangers  I 
have  met,  which  I  think  will  be  interesting  to  you." 


213 


SINDBAD'S  FIRST  VOYAGE. 

My  father  was  a  wealthy  merchant.  He  left  me  a  large 
estate,  which  I  wasted  in  extravagant  living.  I  then  saw  my 
error.  I  had  been  making  bad  use  of  my  time,  which  is  of  all 
things  the  most  valuable.  I  remembered  the  saying  of  the  great 
Solomon,  which  I  had  frequently  heard  from  my  father,  "A  good 
name  is  better  than  precious  ointment;"  and  again,  "  Wisdom 
is  good  with  an  inheritance."  Struck  with  these  thoughts,  I  re- 
solved to  walk  in  my  father's  ways,  and  I  joined  with  some  mer- 
chants, and  embarked  with  them  on  board  a  ship  we  had  fitted 
out  at  Bussorah. 

We  set  sail,  and  steered  our  course  towards  the  Indies,  through 
the  Persian  Gulf.  At  first  I  was  troubled  with  seasickness,  but 
speedily  recovered,  and  was  not  afterwards  subject  to  that 
complaint.  In  our  voyage  we  touched  at  several  ports,  where 
we  sold  or  exchanged  our  goods.  One  day,  while  under  sail,  we 
were  becalmed  near  a  small  island.  The  captain  ordered  his 
sails  to  be  furled,  and  permitted  those  of  us  who  were  so  inclined 
to  land.  Of  this  number  I  was  one. 

While  we  were  enjoying  ourselves,  eating  and  drinking,  and 
recovering  from  the  fatigue  of  the  sea,  the  island  on  a  sudden 
trembled,  and  shook  us  terribly.  The  trembling  was  noticed  on 
board  the  ship,  and  they  called  to  us  to  reembark  speedily,  or 
we  should  all  be  lost;  for  what  we  took  for  an  island  proved  to 
be  the  back  of  a  sea  monster.  The  nimblest  got  into  the  vessel, 
others  took  to  swimming,  but  I  was  still  upon  the  monster's  back 
when  it  disappeared  into  the  sea,  and  I  had  time  only  to  catch  hold 
of  a  piece  of  wood  that  we  had  brought  out  of  the  ship  to  make  a 
fire.  Meanwhile  the  captain,  having  rescued  some  of  those  that 
swam,  resolved  to  take  advantage  of  the  favorable  gale  that  had 
just  risen.  So  he  hoisted  his  sails  and  pursued  his  voyage,  and 
it  was  impossible  for  me  to  reach  the  ship. 

I  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves  all  the  rest  of  the  day  and  the 
following  night.  By  this  time  I  found  my  strength  gone,  and 


214 

despaired  of  saving  my  life,  when  happily  a  wave  threw  me 
against  an  island.  The  bank  was  high  and  rugged,  so  that  I 
could  not  have  got  up  only  for  some  roots  of  trees  which  I  found 
within  reach.  When  the  sun  rose,  though  I  was  very  feeble, 
both  from  exposure  and  want  of  food,  I  crept  along  searching  for 
herbs  fit  to  eat.  I  had  the  good  luck  to  find  some,  and  also  a 
spring  of  excellent  water,  which  helped  much  to  recover  me. 
After  this  I  went  farther  into  the  island,  and  at  last  reached  a 
plain,  where  I  saw  some  horses  feeding.  Going  towards  them, 
I  soon  heard  the  voice  of  a  man,  and  presently  he  appeared, 
and  asked  me  who  I  was.  I  related  to  him  my  adventure,  after 
which,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  he  led  me  into  a  cave,  where 
there  were  several  other  people.  They  were  as  surprised  to  see 
me  as  I  was  to  see  them.  I  partook  of  some  provisions  which 
they  offered  me.  I  then  asked  them  what  they  were  doing  in 
such  a  desert  place.  They  answered  that  they  were  grooms 
belonging  to  the  king  of  the  island,  and  that  every  year  they 
brought  the  king's  horses  there  for  pasturage.  They  also  said 
that  they  were  to  return  home  on  the  next  day,  and  if  I  had 
been  one  day  later,  I  must  have  perished,  because  the  inhabited 
part  of  the  island  was  a  great  distance  off,  and  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  me  to  get  there  without  a  guide. 

Next  morning  they  returned  to  the  capital  of  the  island,  tak- 
ing me  with  them,  and  they  introduced  me  to  the  king.  He 
asked  me  who  I  was,  and  why  I  had  come  into  his  country. 
After  I  had  told  him,  he  said  he  was  very  sorry  for  my  misfor- 
tune, and  he  ordered  that  I  should  be  supplied  with  everything  I 
needed. 

Being  a  merchant,  I  went  among  men  of  my  own  class,  and 
particularly  inquired  for  those  who  were  strangers,  thinking  that  I 
might  hear  news  from  Bagdad,  or  find  an  opportunity  to  return. 
I. took  care  also  to  frequently  pay  my  respects  to  the  king,  and 
I  talked  with  the  great  men  that  were  around  him.  They  put 
many  questions  to  me  about  my  country,  and  I  asked  them  about 
everything  which  I  thought  worth  knowing. 


215 

As  I  was  one  day  at  the  quays,  the  ship  arrived  in  which  I  had 
embarked  at  Bussorah.  I  at  once  knew  the  captain,  and  I  went 
and  asked  him  for  my  bales  of  goods.  "  I  am  Sindbad, "  said  I, 
"  and  those  bales  marked  with  that  name  are  mine."  When  the 
captain  heard  me  speak  he  cried  out,  "  Whom  can  we  trust  in 
these  times!  With  my  own  eyes  I  saw  Sindbad  perish,  as  the 
passengers  on  board  also  did,  yet  you  tell  me  you  are  that  Sind- 
bad. What  impudence  is  this  !  and  what  a  false  tale  to  tell,  iri 
order  to  get  what  does  not  belong  to  you  !  "  "  Have  patience," 
replied  I ;  "do  me  the  kindness  to  hear  what  I  have  to  say. ' ' 
After  I  had  had  some  talk  with  him  he  was  satisfied  that  I 
was  no  cheat,  for  there  came  people  from  his  ship  who  knew 
me  and  expressed  much  joy  at  seeing  me  alive.  At  last  he  re- 
collected me  himself.  "  Heaven  be  praised, ' '  said  he,  "  for  your 
happy  escape  !  I  cannot  express  the  joy  it  gives  me.  Here  are 
your  goods, —  take  and  do  with  them  as  you  please." 

I  took  out  what  was  most  valuable  in  my  bales,  and  presented 
them  to  the  king.  He  was  pleased  at  my  good  luck,  accepted 
my  present,  and  in  return  gave  me  one  much  more  valuable. 
Then  I  took  leave  of  him,  and  went  aboard  the  same  ship,  after 
I  had  exchanged  my  goods  for  products  of  that  country.  I  car- 
ried with  me  wood  of  aloes,  nutmegs,  cloves,  pepper,  and  ginger. 
We  passed  by  several  islands,  and  at  last  arrived  at  Bussorah, 
from  which  I  came  to  this  city,  with  the  value  of  one  hundred 
thousand  pieces  of  gold. 

Sindbad  stopped  here,  and  ordered  the  musicians  to  proceed 
with  their  concert,  which  the  story  had  interrupted.  When  it 
was  evening,  he  gave  a  purse  of  one  hundred  gold  pieces  to  the 
porter,  saying,  "Take  this,  Hindbad,  return  home,  and  comeback 
to-morrow  to  hear  more  of  my  adventures. ' '  The  porter  went 
away,  much  pleased  at  the  honor  done  him,  and  the  present  he 
had  received.  The  account  of  what  had  happened  was  very 
agreeable  to  his  wife  and  children,  who  returned  thanks  for  what 
Providence  had  sent  them  by  the  hand  of  Sindbad. 

Hindbad  put  on  his  best  clothes  next  day,  and  returned  to  the 


2l6 

house  of  Sindbacl,  who  welcomed  him  heartily.  When  all  the 
guests  had  arrived,  dinner  was  served,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  over, 
Sindbad,  addressing  the  company,  said,  "  Gentlemen,  be  pleased 
to  listen  to  the  story  of  my  second  voyage.  It  deserves  your 
attention  more  than  the  first. ' ' 


SINDBAD'S  SECOND  VOYAGE. 

I  intended,  after  my  first  voyage,  to  spend  the  rest  of  my  days 
at  Bagdad,  but  it  was  not  long  before  I  grew  weary  of  an  idle  life, 
and  I  went  to  sea  again  with  a  company  of  merchants. 

We  had  a  good  ship,  and  we  traded  from  island  to  island,  with 
great  profit.  One  day  we  landed  on  an  island  covered  with  fruit 
trees,  but  we  could  see  neither  man  nor  beast.  We  walked  in 
the  meadows,  along  the  streams  that  watered  them.  While  some 
amused  themselves  gathering  flowers,  and  others  fruits,  I  took 
my  provisions,  and  sat  down  near  a  stream  between  two  high 
trees,  which  formed  a  thick  shade.  I  made  a  good  meal,  and 
afterwards  fell  asleep.  I  cannot  tell  how  long  I  slept,  but  when 
I  awoke  the  ship  was  gone. 

I  was  ready  to  die  with  grief,  and  threw  myself  upon  the 
ground,  where  I  lay  some  time  in  despair.  I  blamed  myself 
a  hundred  times  for  not  being  content  with  the  profits  of  my  first 
voyage,  that  might  have  been  enough  for  me  the  rest  of  my  life. 
But  all  this  was  of  no  use,  and  my  repentance  came  too  late. 
Not  knowing  what  to  do,  I  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  a  lofty  tree, 
from  which  I  looked  about  on  all  sides  for  something  that  could 
give  me  hope  of  escape.  When  I  gazed  towards  the  sea  I  saw 
only  sky  and  water,  but  looking  over  the  land,  I  noticed  at  a  dis- 
tance something  very  large  and  round  and  white.  Coming  down 
from  the  tree,  I  took  what  provisions  I  had  left,  and  went 
towards  it. 

As  I  approached  I  thought  it  to  be  a  white  dome,  of  vast 
height,  and  when  I  came  up  to  it  I  touched  it,  and  found  it  to 


be  very  smooth.  I  went  round  about  it  to  see  if  it  was  open  on 
any  side,  but  it  was  not,  and  I  could  not  climb  to  the  top,  it  was 
so  smooth.  It  was  at  least  a  hundred  feet  round.  While  I  was 
gazing  at  this  strange  object,  the  sky  all  of  a  sudden  became  as 
dark  as  if  it  had  been  covered  with  a  thick  cloud.  I  was  aston- 
ished at  the  sudden  darkness,  but  much  more  so  when  I  found 
that  it  was  caused  by  a  bird  of  monstrous  size  that  came  flying 
towards  me.  I  remembered  then  that  I  had  often  heard  sailors 
speak  of  a  wonderful  bird  called  the  roc,  and  I  thought  that  the 
great  dome  must  be  its  egg;  and  so  it  was. 

As  I  saw  the  bird  approach  I  crept  close  to  the  egg.  She 
came  and  sat  upon  it,  stretching  out  her  legs  behind,  each  of 
which  was  as  big  as  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  I  unwound  my  turban 
from  my  head,  folded  it  and  twisted  it  into  a  rope,  and  tied 
myself  with  it  to  one  leg  of  the  bird,  in  the  hope  that  she  would 
carry  me  with  her  out  of  the  desert  island.  She  remained  all 
night  on  the  egg,  but  as  soon  as  it  was  daylight  she  flew  away, 
and  carried  me  so  high  that  I  could  not  see  the  earth.  She 
afterwards  descended  slowly  to  the  ground,  and  I  speedily  untied 
myself  from  her  leg.  I  had  scarcely  done  so  when  the  roc  took 
up  a  serpent  of  great  length  in  her  bill  and  flew  away. 

The  spot  where  the  bird  left  me  was  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  mountains  that  seemed  to  reach  above  the  clouds,  and  so 
steep  that  there  was  no  way  of  getting  out  of  the  valley.  Here 
was  a  new  danger.  When  I  compared  this  place  with  the  desert 
island  from  which  the  roc  had  brought  me,  I  thought  I  had 
gained  nothing  by  the  change.  As  I  walked  through  the  valley 
I  saw  that  it  was  strewn  with  diamonds,  some  of  which  were  of 
great  size.  1  took  pleasure  in  looking  at  them,  but  I  soon  saw 
objects  that  were  not  so  agreeable,  namely  a  great  number  of 
serpents,  so  large  that  the  smallest  of  them  could  swallow  an  ele- 
phant. They  retired  in  the  daytime  to  caves,  where  they  hid 
themselves  from  their  enemy,  the  roc,  and  came  out  only  in  the 
night. 

I  spent  the  day  in  walking  about  in  the  valley,  resting  myself 


218 

at  times  in  such  places  as  were  most  convenient.  When  night 
came  I  went  into  a  cave,  where  I  thought  I  might  repose  in 
safety.  The  entrance,  which  was  low  and  narrow,  I  stopped  up 
with  a  great  stone,  to  preserve  me  from  the  serpents.  I  supped 
on  part  of  my  provisions,  but  the  serpents,  which  began  hissing 
around  me,  made  me  so  afraid  that  I  could  not  sleep.  When 
day  appeared  the  serpents  went  away,  and  I  came  out  of  the 
cave,  trembling.  I  walked  upon  diamonds  without  feeling  any  wish 
to  take  them.  At  last  I  sat  down,  and  after  eating  a  little  more 
of  my  provisions,  I  fell  fast  asleep  in  spite  of  my  fear.  But  in 
a  short  time  I  was  awakened  by  something  that  dropped  on  the 
ground  with  a  great  noise.  I  found  that  it  was  a  large  piece 
of  raw  meat,  and  at  the  same  time  I  saw  several  other  pieces  fall 
down  from  the  rocks  in  different  places. 

I  had  always  regarded  as  false  what  I  heard  sailors  and  others 
tell  of  the  valley  of  diamonds,  and  of  how  merchants  got  the  dia- 
monds from  the  valley,  but  now  I  found  that  it  was  the  truth. 
The  merchants  come  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  and  throw 
down  into  the  valley  large  pieces  of  meat,  to  which  the  diamonds 
stick.  Then  the  eagles,  which  are  stronger  in  this  country  than 
anywhere  else,  pounce  upon  these  pieces  of  meat,  and  carry  them 
to  their  nests  on  the  tops  of  the  rocks,  to  feed  their  young.  The 
merchants  then  run  to  the  nests,  drive  off  the  eagles,  and  take 
away  the  diamonds  that  stick  to  the  meat. 

I  now,  therefore,  saw  the  means  of  getting  out  of  the  valley. 
I  collected  the  largest  diamonds  I  could  find,  and  put  them  into 
the  leather  bag  in  which  I  carried  my  provisions.  Then  I  took 
the  biggest  of  the  pieces  of  meat,  tied  it  close  round  me,  and 
laid  myself  upon  the  ground  with  my  face  downwards,  the  bag  of 
diamonds  being  made  fast  to  my  girdle.  In  a  short  time  one  of 
the  eagles,  having  taken  me  up  with  the  piece  of  meat  to  which 
I  was  fastened,  carried  me  to  his  nest  on  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  merchants  immediately  began  shouting  to  frighten 
the  eagles,  and  when  they  had  driven  away  the  birds,  one  of 
them  came  to  the  nest  where  I  was.  He  was  much  astonished 


219 

when  he  saw  me,  but  instead  of  inquiring  how  I  came  there,  he 
began  to  quarrel  with  me,  and  asked  why  I  stole  his  goods. 
"  You  will  treat  me,"  said  I,  "  with  more  civility  when 
you  know  me  better.  Do  not  be  uneasy;  I  have  diamonds 
enough  for  you  and  myself, —  more  than  all  the  other  merchants 
together."  I  had  scarcely  done  speaking,  when  the  other  mer- 
chants came  crowding  about  us,  surprised  to  see  me.  But  when 
I  told  them  my  story  they  were  still  more  surprised,  and  after 
conducting  me  to  their  tents,  where  I  opened  my  bag,  they 
wondered  greatly  at  the  size  of  my  diamonds,  saying  that  they 
had  never  seen  any  so  large  and  perfect.  I  begged  the  mer- 
chant who  owned  the  nest  to  which  I  had  been  carried  (for  each 
had  his  own)  to  take  as  many  as  he  pleased.  But  he  would 
take  only  one,  and  he  said,  "  I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  this. 
It  is  valuable  enough  to  save  me  the  trouble  of  making  any  more 
voyages,  and  it  will  raise  as  great  a  fortune  as  I  desire." 

The  merchants  had  been  throwing  their  pieces  of  meat  into 
the  valley  for  several  days,  and  each  of  them  was  satisfied  with 
the  diamonds  he  had  got.  We  therefore  left  the  place  next 
morning,  and  we  took  shipping  at  the  first  port  we  reached.  We 
touched  at  the  isle  of  Roha,  where  the  tree  grows  that  yields  cam- 
phor. This  tree  is  so  large,  and  its  branches  so  thick,  that  one 
hundred  men  may  easily  sit  under  its  shade.  The  juice  oozes 
from  a  hole  bored  in  the  upper  part  of  the  tree,  and  is  received 
in  a  vessel,  where  it  thickens,  and  becomes  camphor.  After  the 
juice  all  comes  out  the  tree  withers  and  dies.  In  this  island  is 
also  found  the  rhinoceros.  It  has  a  horn  upon  its  nose  about 
eighteen  inches  in  length.  It  thrusts  its  horn  into  the  elephant's 
body  and  carries  him  off  upon  its  head.  But  the  blood  of  the 
elephant  runs  into  the  eyes  of  the  rhinoceros,  and  being  thus 
blinded,  the  animal  becomes  helpless.  Then  the  roc  carries  both 
away  for  food  for  her  young  ones. 

At  Roha  I  exchanged  some  of  my  diamonds  for  merchandise. 
Then  we  went  to  other  islands,  and  at  last  landed  at  Bussorah, 
from  which  I  came  to  Bagdad.  I  immediately  made  large  pres- 


22O 

ents  to  the  poor,  and  lived  upon  the  riches  I  had  gained  with  so 
much  fatigue. 

Thus  Sindbad  ended  the  story  of  his  second  voyage.  He  gave 
Hindbad  another  purse  of  gold,  and  invited  him  to  come  the 
next  day  to  hear  the  account  of  his  third  voyage. 


SINDBAD'S  THIRD  VOYAGE. 

I  soon  again  grew  weary  of  idleness,  and  hardening  myself 
against  the  thought  of  danger,  I  embarked  with  some  merchants 
on  another  voyage.  We  touched  at  several  ports,  where  we 
traded.  One  day  a  dreadful  tempest  drove  us  from  our  course, 
and  brought  us  near  a  harbor  in  an  island,  which  the  captain  was 
very  unwilling  to  enter.  But  the  storm  obliged  us  to  take  shel- 
ter in  it.  When  we  had  furled  our  sails,  the  captain  told  us  that 
this  and  some  neighboring  islands  were  inhabited  by  hairy  savages, 
who  would  speedily  attack  us.  Though  they  were  but  dwarfs,  we 
must  not  strike  any  of  them,  he  said,  for  they  were  very  numer- 
ous, and  if  we  should  kill  one,  they  would  all  fall  upon  us  and 
destroy  us. 

We  soon  found  that  what  the  captain  told  us  was  but  too  true. 
A  multitude  of  frightful  savages,  about  two  feet  high,  cov- 
ered all  over  with  red  hair,  came  swimming  towards  us, 
and  surrounded  our  ship.  They  chattered  as  they  came  near, 
but  we  did  not  understand  their  language.  They  climbed 
up  the  sides  of  the  ship  with  great  speed.  They  took  down 
our  sails,  cut  the  cable,  and,  hauling  the  vessel  to  the  shore, 
made  us  all  get  out.  Then  they  dragged  the  ship  to  another 
island,  from  which  they  had  come.  As  we  advanced,  we 
saw  at  a  distance  a  vast  pile  of  building,  and  made  towards 
it.  WTe  found  it  to  be  a  palace,  elegantly  built,  and  very 
lofty,  with  a  gate  of  ebony.  We  opened  the  gate  and  entered  a 
large  hall,  where  we  saw  on  one  side  a  heap  of  human  bones,  and 
on  the  other,  a  vast  number  of  roasting  spits.  We  trembled  with 


221 

fear  at  this  sight.  But  we  were  much  more  terrified  when  a  door 
opened  with  a  loud  crash,  and  there  came  out  a  horrible  black 
man,  as  tall  as  a  palm  tree.  He  had  but  one  eye,  and  it  was  in 
the  middle  of  his  forehead,  where  it  blazed  as  bright  as  a  burning 
coal.  His  fore  teeth  were  very  long  and  sharp,  and  stood  out  of 
his  mouth,  which  was  as  deep  as  that  of  a  horse.  His  upper  lip 
hung  down  upon  his  breast.  His  ears  were  as  large  as  those  of 
an  elephant,  and  covered  his  shoulders,  and  his  nails  were  as  long 
and  crooked  as  the  claws  of  the  largest  birds.  At  the  sight  of 
this  frightful  being,  we  fell  to  the  ground  in  terror,  and  lay  like 
dead  men. 

At  last  we  came  to  ourselves,  and  saw  him  sitting  in  the  porch 
looking  at  us.  When  he  had  watched  us  for  some  time,  he 
advanced  towards  us,  and  laying  his  hand  upon  me,  he  took  me 
up  by  the  neck,  and  turned  me  round,  as  a  butcher  would  do  a 
sheep's  head.  After  having  examined  me,  and  seeing  me  to  be 
so  lean  that  I  had  nothing  but  skin  and  bone,  he  let  me  go.  He 
took  up  all  the  rest  one  by  one,  and  examined  them  in  the  same 
way.  The  captain  being  the  fattest,  he  held  him  with  one 
hand,  as  I  would  do  a  sparrow,  and  thrust  a  spit  through  him. 
He  then  kindled  a  great  fire,  and  roasted  and  ate  him  for  his 
supper.  Having  finished  his  meal,  he  returned  to  his  porch, 
where  he  lay  and  fell  asleep,  snoring  louder  than  thunder.  He 
slept  thus  till  morning.  It  was  not  possible  for  us  to  enjoy  any 
rest,  for  we  passed  the  night  in  the  greatest  fear.  When  day 
appeared  the  giant  awoke,  got  up,  went  out,  and  left  us  in  the 
palace. 

We  now  resolved  to  punish  the  giant,  and  next  night  we  did  so 
in  .the  following  manner.  After  he  had  killed  and  eaten  another 
of  our  seamen,  he  lay  down  on  his  back,  and  fell  asleep.  As 
soon  as  we  heard  him  snoring,  nine  of  the  boldest  among  us,  and 
myself,  took  a  spit  each,  and  putting  the  points  into  the  fire  till 
they  were  burning  hot,  we  thrust  them  into  his  eye  all  at  once, 
and  blinded  him.  The  pain  made  him  yell  frightfully.  He 
started  up,  and  stretched  out  his  hands  to  seize  some  of  us,  but 


222 

we  kept  out  of  his  reach.  After  having  tried  in  vain  to  catch 
us,  he  groped  for  the  gate,  and  went  out,  howling  with  agony. 
We  immediately  left  the  palace,  and  came  to  the  shore,  where, 
with  timber  that  lay  about  in  great  quantities,  we  made  some 
rafts,  each  large  enough  to  carry  three  men.  We  waited  till 
daylight  to  get  upon  them,  but  day  had  scarcely  appeared  when 
we  saw  the  giant,  accompanied  by  two  others  almost  of  the 
same  size,  leading  him,  and  a  great  number  more  coming  be- 
fore him  at  a  quick  pace.  We  at  once  got  upon  our  rafts,  and 
put  to  sea  with  all  the  speed  we  could.  The  giants,  who  saw 
this,  took  up  great  stones  and,  running  to  the  shore,  entered 
the  water  up  to  their  waists,  and  threw  with  so  good  aim  that 
they  sunk  all  the  rafts  but  mine.  All  my  companions,  except 
the  two  with  me,  were  drowned. 

We  now  rowed  with  our  best  efforts,  and  got  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  giants.  But  on  the  sea  we  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves 
and  winds,  and  we  spent  that  day  and  the  following  night  in  the 
greatest  misery.  Next  morning,  however,  we  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  cast  upon  an  island,  where  we  landed  with  much 
joy.  We  found  excellent  fruit,  which  gave  us  great  relief,  and 
renewed  our  strength.  At  night  we  went  to  sleep  on  the  sea- 
shore, but  we  were  awakened  by  the  noise  made  by  a  serpent 
of  surprising  length  and  thickness.  The  reptile  swallowed  up 
one  of  my  comrades,  after  having  dashed  him  several  times  against 
the  ground.  The  following  day,  to  our  great  terror,  we  saw  the 
serpent  again,  and  in  the  evening  we  went  up  into  a  tall  tree, 
where  we  resolved  to  pass  the  night  for  safety.  Shortly  after- 
wards the  serpent  came  hissing  to  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and, 
gliding  up  the  trunk,  seized  my  comrade,  who  sat  lower  than  I, 
and  carried  him  off. 

I  remained  upon  the  tree  till  daylight  and  then  came  down, 
more  like  a  man  dead  than  alive,  expecting  the  same  fate  as  that 
of  my  companions..  However,  I  did  what  I  could  to  save  myself. 
I  tied  a  wide  piece  of  wood  upon  the  soles  of  my  feet,  crosswise, 
and  I  tied  one  like  it  upon  my  left  side,  and  a  similar  one  on  my 


223 

right  side,  and  a  similar  one  upon  the  front  of  my  body,  and  I 
tied  a  long  and  wide  one  upon  the  top  of  my  head,  crosswise, 
like  that  which  was  under  the  soles  of  my  feet.  Thus  I  was  in 
the  midst  of  these  pieces  of  wood,  and  they  inclosed  me  on  every 
side.  I  bound  them  tightly,  and  threw  myself  with  the  whole 
upon  the  ground;  so  I  lay  in  the  midst  of  the  pieces  of  wood, 
which  inclosed  me  like  a  closet. 

When  evening  arrived,  the  serpent  approached,  and  when  it 
saw  me  it  drew  towards  me.  But  it  could  not  swallow  me  as 
I  was  in  that  state,  with  the  pieces  of  wood  around  me  on  every 
side.  It  went  round  me,  but  could  not  get  at  me,  and  I  looked 
at  it,  like  a  dead  man,  through  fear  and  terror.  The  serpent 
retired  from  me,  and  returned  to  me,  and  thus  continued  to  do. 
Every  time  that  it  tried  to  get  at  me  to  swallow  me,  the  pieces  of 
wood  tied  upon  me  on  every  side  prevented  it.  It  continued  to 
do  this  from  sunset  until  sunrise,  when  it  went  away  in  the  ut- 
most vexation  and  rage,  upon  which  I  stretched  forth  my  hands 
and  loosed  myself  from  the  pieces  of  wood. 

I  then  arose  and  walked  along  the  island  until  I  came  to  the 
end  of  it,  when  I  cast  a  glance  towards  the  sea,  and  saw  a  ship 
at  a  distance.  Taking  a  great  branch  of  a  tree,  I  made  a 
sign  with  it,  calling  out  to  the  people  on  the  vessel.  The  crew 
caught  sight  of  me,  and  the  captain  sent  his  boat  to  take  me  to 
the  ship.  As  soon  as  I  came  on  board,  the  merchants  and 
seamen  nocked  about  me,  to  learn  how  I  had  got  into  that  desert 
island.  When  I  told  them  my  story,  the  oldest  among  them  said 
that  they  had  often  heard  that  giants  dwelt  in  the  island,  that 
they  were  cannibals,  and  that  serpents  were  very  numerous  there. 
After  expressing  joy  at  my  escape  from  so  many  dangers,  they 
brought  me  the  best  of  their  provisions,  and  the  captain,  seeing 
that  I  was  in  rags,  gave  me  one  of  his  own  suits. 

Looking  closely  at  the  captain,  I  knew  him  to  be  the  same 
who,  in  my  second  voyage,  had  left  me  in  the  island  where  I  fell 
asleep,  and  sailed  without  sending  to  search  for  me.  I  was  not 
surprised  that  he,  believing  me  to  be  dead,  did  not  know  me. 


224 

''Captain,"  said  I,  "look  at  me,  and  you  may  know  that  I  am 
Sindbad  whom  you  left  in  the  desert  island."  He  then  recog- 
nized me  and  said,  "  God  be  praised!  I  rejoice  that  you  have 
been  saved.  Here  are  your  goods,  which  I  have  always  taken 
care  to  preserve. ' '  I  received  them  from  him,  and  thanked  him. 
We  continued  at  sea  for  some  time,  touched  at  several  islands, 
and  at  last  arrived  at  Bussorah.  From  there  I  returned  to  Bag- 
dad, with  much  wealth.  I  gave  a  great  deal  to  the  poor,  and 
bought  another  estate  in  addition  to  what  I  had  already. 

Thus  Sindbad  finished  the  story  of  his  third  voyage.  He  gave 
another  hundred  pieces  of  gold  to  Hindbad,  and  invited  him  to 
dinner  the  next  day,  to  hear  about  his  fourth  voyage. 


SINDBAD'S  FOURTH  VOYAGE. 

After  I  had  recovered  from  the  fatigues  of  my  third  voyage,  my 
love  of  travel  soon  again  prevailed.  I  therefore  provided  a  stock 
of  goods  fit  for  the  traffic  I  intended  to  engage  in.  I  went  to 
Persia,  traveled  over  several  provinces,  and  at  length  arrived  at  a 
port,  where  I  embarked.  Soon  after  we  set  sail,  a  great  storm 
arose  which  wrecked  our  ship.  Several  of  the  merchants  and 
sailors  were  drowned,  and  the  cargo  was  lost. 

I  had  the  good  fortune,  with  some  of  the  merchants  and  crew, 
to  get  upon  planks,  and  we  were  carried  by  the  current  to  an 
island  which  lay  before  us.  There  we  found  fruit  and  spring 
water,  which  preserved  our  lives.  We  stayed  all  night  near  the 
place  where  we  had  been  cast  ashore.  Next  morning,  as  soon  as 
the  sun  was  up,  we  explored  the  island,  and  saw  some  buildings, 
which  we  approached.  As  we  drew  near,  we  met  a  great  number 
of  negroes,  who  seized  us  and  carried  us  to  their  houses.  I  and 
five  of  my  comrades  were  carried  to  one  place,  where  they  gave 
us  a  certain  herb,  which  they  made  signs  to  us  to  eat.  My  com- 
rades, not  taking  notice  that  the  blacks  ate  none  of  it  themselves, 
thought  only  of  satisfying  their  hunger,  and  ate  with  greediness. 


225 

But  I,  suspecting  some  trick,  would  not  taste  it.  It  was  well  for 
me  that  I  did  not,  for  in  a  little  time  I  saw  that  my  companions 
had  lost  their  senses,  and  that  when  they  spoke  to  me  they  did 
not  know  what  they  said. 

The  negroes  fed  us  afterwards  with  rice,  prepared  with  oil  of 
cocoanuts,  and  my  comrades,  who  had  lost  their  reason,  ate  of 
it  greedily.  I  also  partook  of  it,  but  very  sparingly.  They  gave 
us  the  herb  at  first  on  purpose  to  deprive  us  of  our  senses,  that 
we  might  not  be  aware  of  the  sad  fate  prepared  for  us.  Then 
they  gave  us  rice  to  fatten  us,  for  being  cannibals,  their  intention 
was  to  eat  us  as  soon  as  we  grew  fat.  Accordingly  they  devoured 
my  comrades,  but  seeing  me  to  be  withered,  lean,  and  sick,  hav- 
ing eaten  very  little,  they  put  off  my  death. 

Meanwhile  I  had  much  liberty,  so  that  scarcely  any  notice  was 
taken  of  what  I  did,  and  this  gave  me  an  opportunity  one  day  to 
get  at  a  distance  from  the  houses,  and  to  make  my  escape.  On 
the  eighth  day  afterwards  I  came  near  the  sea,  and  saw  some 
white  people  like  myself,  gathering  pepper,  of  which  there  was 
great  plenty  in  that  place.  The  people  came  to  meet  me  as 
soon  as  they  saw  me,  and  asked  me  in  Arabic  who  I  was  and 
where  I  came  from.  I  was  overjoyed  to  hear  them  speak  my 
own  language,  and  gave  them  an  account  of  my  shipwreck  and 
how  I  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  negroes.  "Those  negroes," 
said  they,  "eat  men,  and  by  what  miracle  did  you  escape  their 
cruelty  ?"  I  related  to  them  what  I  have  just  told,  at  which  they 
were  greatly  surprised.  I  stayed  with  them  till  they  had  gathered 
as  much  pepper  as  they  required,  and  then  sailed  with  them  to 
the  island  from  which  they  had  come.  They  brought  me  to  their 
king,  who  was  a  good  man.  He  had  the  patience  to  hear  the 
story  of  my  adventures,  which  surprised  him.  He  afterwards 
gave  me  clothes  and  commanded  that  care  should  be  taken  of  me. 
The  island  was  very  well  peopled,  and  the  capital  a  place  of  great 
trade.  I  observed  one  thing  which  appeared  to  me  very  extra- 
ordinary. They  all  rode  their  horses  without  bridle  or  stirrups. 
One  day  I  went  to  a  workman  and  gave  him  a  model  for  mak- 

ARABIAN   NIGHTS  —  15 


226 
f 

ing  the  Stock  of  a"  saddle.  When  that  was  done,  I  covered  it 
myself  with  velvet  and  leather  and  embroidered  it  with  gold.  1 
then  wenl  to  a  s«aMy  who  made  me  a  bit,"  according  to  the  pat- 
tern 1  showed  him,  and  also  stirrups.  When  I  had  them  all 
completed,  I  presented  them  to  the  king,  and  put  them  upon 
one  of  his  horses.  He  mounted  immediately,  and  was  so  pleased 
with  them  that  he  gave  me  valuable  rewards.  I  made  several 
others  for  the  principal  officers  of  his  house,  which  gained  me 
great  friendship  and  favor. 

I  paid  my  respects  very  frequently  to  the  king,  and  one  day  he 
said  to  me,  "Sindbad,  I  have  one  thing  to  ask  of  you,  which  you 
must  grant.  I  wish  you  to  marry  and  stay  in  my  kingdom,  and 
think  no  more  of  your  own  country."  I  dared  not  refuse  the 
king's  request,  and  he  gave  me  one  of  the  ladies  of  his  court, 
who  was  beautiful  and  rich.  The  ceremony  of  marriage  being 
over,  I  went  and  dwelt  with  my  wife,  and  for  some  time  we  lived 
together  in  perfect  happiness. 

Soon  afterwards  it  happened  that  the  wife  of  one  of  my  neigh- 
bors, with  whom  I  had  formed  a  very  close  friendship,  fell  sick 
and  died.  I  went  to  see  and  comfort  him  in  his  trouble,  and  I  said 
to  him,  "God  preserve  you  and  grant  you  a  long  life."  "Alas," 
replied  he,  ' '  how  do  you  think  I  should  obtain  the  favor  you  wish 
me  ?  I  have  not  above  an  hour  to  live,  for  I  must  be  buried  to- 
day with  my  wife.  This  is  a  law  in  our  country.  The  living 
husband  is  interred  with  the  dead  wife,  and  the  living  wife  with 
the  dead  husband." 

While  he  was  giving  me  an  account  of  this  barbarous  custom, 
at  which  I  was  much  horrified,  his  friends  and  neighbors  came  to 
assist  at  the  funeral.  They  dressed  the  corpse  of  the  woman  in 
her  richest  apparel,  with  all  her  jewels,  as  if  it  had  been  her 
wedding  day.  Then  they  placed  her  on  an  open  bier,  and  began 
their  march  to  the  place  of  burial.  The  husband  walked  first, 
next  to  the  dead  body.  They  went  to  a  spot  on  a  high  mountain, 
where  they  took  up  a  large  stone  which  formed  the  mouth  of  a 
deep  pit,  and  let  down  the  body  with  all  its  apparel  and  jewels. 


227 

Then  the  husband,  after  bidding  farewell  to  his  relatives  and 
friends,  was  placed  on  another  bier,  with  a  pot  of  water  and  seven 
small  loaves,  and  was  let  down  in  the  same  manner.  The  cere- 
mony being  over,  the  mouth  of  the  pit  was  again  covered  with 
the  stone,  and  the  company  returned. 

I  mention  this  ceremony  especially  because  I  was  myself  in  a 
few  weeks'  time  in  the  same  dreadful  situation.  Alas !  my  own 
wife  fell  sick  and  died.  I  begged  of  the  king  not  to  subject  me, 
a  foreigner,  to  this  inhuman  law,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  He,  and 
all  his  court,  and  the  principal  persons  of  the  city,  tried  to  soften 
my  sorrow  by  honoring  the  funeral  with  their  presence,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  ceremony  I  was  lowered  into  the  pit  with  a  vessel  of 
water  and  seven  loaves.  As  I  approached  the  bottom  I  discov- 
ered, by  the  aid  of  the  little  light  that  came  from  above,  that  it 
was  a  cavern,  and  about  three  hundred  feet  deep. 

I  lived  for  some  time  upon  my  bread  and  water,  when  one 
day  I  heard  something  move,  and  breathe  or  pant  as  it  moved. 
I  followed  the  sound.  It  came  from  an  animal  of  some  kind, 
and  the  animal  often  stopped,  but  always  fled  and  breathed  hard 
as  I  approached.  At  last  I  saw  a  light,  resembling  a  star,  and 
found  that  it  came  through  an  opening  in  the  rock.  Forcing  my 
way  through  this  opening,  I  came  upon  the  seashore,  at  which  I 
felt  great  joy.  I  then  returned  to  the  cave,  and  took  from  it  a 
great  quantity  of  jewels  and  other  valuable  things  which  had  been 
buried  there  with  the  dead  people  and  their  living  companions. 

Soon  afterwards,  as  I  was  sitting  on  the  beach,  I  saw  a  ship 
approaching.  I  made  a  sign  with  the  linen  of  my  turban,  and 
called  to  the  crew  as  loud  as  I  could.  They  heard  me,  and  sent 
a  boat  to  bring  me  on  board.  The  captain  received  me  with 
great  kindness,  took  me  and  my  property  aboard  his  ship,  and 
proceeded  on  his  voyage.  I  arrived  safely  at  Bagdad.  Out  of 
gratitude  to  God  for  His  mercies,  I  contributed  liberally  towards 
the  support  of  the  poor. 

Here  Sindbad  made  another  present  of  one  hundred  gold 
pieces  to  Hindbad,  and  requested  him  to  return  with  the  rest  of 


228 

the  company  next  day  at  the  same  hour,  to  dine  with  him,  and 
hear  the  story  of  his  fifth  voyage. 


SINDBAD'S  FIFTH  VOYAGE. 

All  that  I  had  suffered  could  not  cure  me  of  my  love  for  travel, 
and  so  I  soon  resolved  to  take  another  voyage.  I  therefore  bought 
a  stock  of  goods,  and  set  out  with  them  for  the  city  of  Bussorah. 
Shortly  after  my  arrival  there,  as  I  was  walking  along  the  bank  of 
the  river,  I  saw  a  very  large  and  handsome  ship,  which  pleased 
me  so  well  that  I  purchased  it.  Then  I  hired  a  captain  and  sail- 
ors, and  put  my  goods  on  board.  But  as  my  goods  were  not 
enough  to  load  the  vessel,  I  agreed  to  take  with  me  several  mer- 
chants and  their  goods. 

We  sailed  with  the  first  fair  wind,  and  went  from  island  to 
island,  and  sea  to  sea,  landing  at  several  ports,  and  selling  and 
buying.  Thus  we  continued  until  we  arrived  one  day  at  an  island 
in  which  there  were  no  inhabitants.  As  we  approached  this 
island  we  noticed  upon  it  a  large  white  object  resembling  a  dome. 
Upon  landing  we  found  that  it  was  the  egg  of  a  roc.  There  was 
a  young  roc  in  it,  and  its  beak  had  begun  to  appear  through  the 
shell.  Some  of  the  merchants  broke  the  egg  with  stones,  took 
out  the  young  bird,  killed  it,  and  made  a  meal  of  it.  I  had 
warned  them  not  to  meddle  with  the  egg,  but  they  paid  no  heed 
to  my  words.  Scarcely  had  they  finished  their  meal  when  there 
appeared  in  the  air,  at  a  considerable  distance,  something  like 
two  dark  clouds.  The  master  of  my  ship  said  it  was  the  parent 
birds,  the  male  and  female  rocs,  and  he  advised  us  to  get  aboard 
as  quickly  as  possible.  So  we  made  haste  to  embark,  and  hav- 
ing loosed  the  ship,  we  departed  with  the  greatest  speed. 

Meanwhile  the  two  rocs  approached  with  a  frightful  noise, 
which  they  redoubled  when  they  saw  the  egg  broken,  and  the 
young  one  gone.  They  then  flew  back  in  the  direction  from 
which  they  had  come,  and  disappeared  for  a  short  time,  while 


22Q 

we  endeavored  to  increase  our  speed  in  getting  away  from  the 
island.  The  rocs  soon  returned,  and  we  observed  that  each 
had  in  its  talons  a  huge  stone.  They  came  directly  over  our 
ship,  and  one  of  them  let  drop  a  stone.  It  missed  us  by  a 
little  space,  owing  to  the  skill  of  our  captain,  who  quickly  steered 
the  vessel  to  one  side.  Then  the  other  roc  let  fall  its  stone.  It 
hit  the  ship  right  in  the  middle  and  split  it  into  pieces.  Some 
of  the  sailors  and  passengers  were  crushed  to  death;  the  others 
fell  into  the  sea.  I  fortunately  caught  hold  of  a  piece  of  the 
wreck,  and  swimming,  sometimes  with  one  hand  and  sometimes 
with  the  other,  but  always  holding  fast  to  the  plank,  I  came  to 
an  island,  and  got  safely  ashore. 

I  sat  down  upon  the  grass,  to  recover  myself  from  my  fatigue, 
after  which  I  went  into  the  island  to  explore.  It  seemed  to  be 
a  beautiful  garden.  I  found  trees  everywhere,  some  of 
them  bearing  green,  and  others  ripe,  fruits,  and  there  were  also 
streams  of  fresh,  pure  water.  I  ate  of  the  fruits,  which  I  found 
excellent,  and  drank  of  the  water,  which  was  very  pure  and 
good. 

When  I  had  gone  a  little  way  into  the  island,  I  saw  an  old 
man,  who  appeared  very  weak  and  infirm.  He  was  sitting  on 
the  bank  of  a  stream,  and  at  first  I  took  him  to  be  one  who  had 
been  shipwrecked  like  myself.  I  went  towards  him  and  saluted 
him,  but  he  only  slightly  bowed  his  head.  I  asked  him  why  he 
sat  so  still.  Instead  of  answering  me,  he  made  a  sign  for  me  to 
take  him  upon  my  back,  and  carry  him  over  the  brook.  Thinking 
that  he  was  really  in  need  of  assistance,  I  took  him  upon  my 
back,  and  having  carried  him  over,  I  stooped,  that  he  might  get 
off  with  ease.  Instead  of  doing  so,  the  old  man  threw  his  legs 
nimbly  about  my  neck,  and,  sitting  astride  my  shoulders,  held 
my  throat  so  tight  that  I  fainted  away. 

In  spite  of  my  fainting,  the  ill-natured  old  fellow  still  kept 
his  seat  upon  my  neck.  When  I  recovered  my  breath,  he  thrust 
one  of  his  feet  against  my  side,  and  struck  me  so  roughly  with 
the  other  that  he  forced  me  to  rise  up  against  my  will.  He 


230 

made  me  carry  him  under  the  trees,  and  compelled  me  now  and 
then  to  stop,  that  he  might  gather  and  eat  fruit.  He  never  left 
his  seat  all  day,  and  when  I  lay  down  to  rest  at  night,  he  laid 
himself  down  with  me,  holding  fast  about  my  neck.  Every 
morning  he  pinched  me  to  make  me  wake,  and  afterwards 
obliged  me  to  get  up  and  walk,  and  spurred  me  with  his  feet. 

One  day  I  found  several  dry  gourds  that  had  fallen  from  a 
tree.  I  took  a  large  one,  and,  after  cleaning  it,  pressed  into 
it  some  juice  of  grapes,  which  were  plentiful  in  the  island.  I 
put  it  by  in  a  convenient  place,  and  going  there  again  some  days 
after,  I  tasted  the  wine,  and  found  it  so  good  that  I  began  to 
sing  and  dance  as  I  carried  my  burden.  The  old  man,  seeing  the 
effect  which  the  juice  had  upon  me,  and  that  I  carried  him  with, 
more  ease  than  before,  made  me  a  sign  to  give  him  some  of  it. 
I  handed  him  the  gourd,  and  he  drank  it  off.  He  soon  began  to 
sing,  and  to  move  about  from  side  to  side  in  his  seat  upon  my 
shoulders.  By  degrees  he  loosened  his  legs  from  about  me,  and 
finding  that  he  did  not  press  me  as  before,  I  threw  him  upon  the 
ground,  where  he  lay  without  motion.  I  then  took  up  a  great 
stone  and  killed  him. 

I  was  very  glad  to  be  free  from  this  troublesome  fellow.  I 
now  walked  towards  the  beach,  where  I  met  the  crew  of  a  ship 
that  had  cast  anchor  to  take  in  water.  They  were  surprised  to 
see  me,  but  more  so  at  hearing  of  my  adventures.  ' '  You  fell, ' ' 
said  they,  "  into  the  hands  of  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea,  and  you 
are  the  first  who  ever  escaped  him.  He  never  quits  those  he 
once  makes  himself  master  of,  till  he  destroys  them,  and  he  has 
killed  many  men  in  this  island. ' '  They  carried  me  with  them  to 
the  captain,  who  received  me  with  great  kindness.  We  put  out 
again  to  sea,  and  after  some  days'  sail,  we  arrived  at  the  harbor 
of  a  great  city,  the  houses  of  which  overhung  the  sea. 

One  of  the  merchants  invited  me  to  go  along  with  him.  He 
gave  me  a  large  sack,  and,  recommending  me  to  some  people  of 
the  town  who  made  their  living  by  gathering  cocoanuts,  desired 
them  to  take  me  with  them.  "  Go,"  said  he  to  me,  "  follow 


231 

them,  and  act  as  you  see  them  do,  but  do  not  separate  from 
them,  otherwise  you  may  lose  your  life."  He  then  gave  me 
provisions  for  the  journey,  and  I  went  with  them.  We  came  to 
a  thick  forest  of  cocoa  trees,  very  lofty,  with  trunks  so  smooth 
that  it  was  not  possible  to  get  to  the  branches  that  bore  the  fruit. 
When  we  entered  the  forest  we  saw  a  great  number  of  apes,  who 
fled  as  soon  as  they  noticed  us,  and  climbed  to  the  tops  of  the 
trees  with  amazing  swiftness.  The  merchants  gathered  stones, 
and  threw  them  at  the  apes  on  the  trees.  I  did  the  same,  and 
the  apes,  out  of  revenge,  threw  cocoanuts  at  us  very  fast,  and 
with  such  gestures  as  showed  that  they  were  angry.  We  gathered 
up  the  cocoanuts,  and  from  time  to  time  threw  stones  to  provoke 
the  apes.  By  this  plan  we  filled  our  bags  with  cocoanuts. 

Having  loaded  our  vessel  with  cocoanuts,  we  set  sail,  and 
passed  by  the  islands  where  pepper  grows  in  great  plenty.  We 
then  went  to  the  isle  of  Comari,  where  the  best  species  of  wood 
of  aloes  grows.  I  exchanged  my  cocoanuts  in  those  two  islands 
for  pepper  and  wood  of  aloes,  and  went  with  the  other  merchants 
pearl  fishing.  I  hired  divers,  who  brought  me  up  some  pearls 
that  were  very  large  and  pure.  Soon  afterwards  I  embarked  in  a 
vessel  that  arrived  safely  at  Bussorah,  from  which  I  returned  to 
Bagdad,  where  I  got  vast  sums  for  my  pepper,  wood  of  aloes, 
and  pearls.  I  gave  the  tenth  of  my  gains  in  alms  to  the  poor, 
and  rested  from  my  fatigue. 

Sindbad,  having  finished  his  stories,  gave  another  purse  of  a 
hundred  gold  pieces  to  Hindbad.  He  also  bestowed  many  other 
favors  upon  him,  and  they  continued  to  be  friends  and  com- 
panions to  the  end  of  their  lives. 


STORY  OF  ALI  BABA  AND  THE  FORTY  THIEVES. 

There  once  lived  in  a  town  of  Persia  two  brothers,  one  named 
Cassim,  and  the  other  AH  Baba.  Their  father  divided  a  small 
property  equally  between  them.  Cassim  married  a  rich  wife,  and 


232 

became  a  wealthy  merchant.  Ali  Baba  married  a  woman  as 
poor  as  himself,  and  lived  by  cutting  wood,  and  bringing  it  upon 
asses  into  the  town  to  sell. 

One  day,  when  Ali  Baba  was  in  the  forest,  and  had  just  cut 
wood  enough  to  load  his  asses,  he  saw  at  a  distance  a  great  cloud 
of  dust,  which  seemed  to  approach  him.  He  saw  soon  after- 
wards a  body  of  horsemen,  who  he  thought  might  be  thieves. 
To  save  himself,  he  left  his  asses  and  climbed  up  a  large  tree, 
whose  branches  were  thick  enough  to  conceal  him  and  yet  permit 
him  to  see  all  that  passed,  without  being  discovered. 

The  troop,  which  numbered  forty,  all  well  armed,  came  to  the 
foot  of  the  tree,  and  there  dismounted.  Every  man  unbridled 
his  horse,  tied  him  to  a  shrub,  and  hung  about  his  neck  a  bag  of 
corn.  Then  each  of  them  took  off  his  saddlebag,  which  seemed 
to  Ali  Baba  to  be  full  of  gold  and  silver.  One  of  the  troop,  who 
appeared  to  be  the  captain,  came  under  the  tree  in  which  Ali 
Baba  was,  and,  making  his  way  through  the  shrubs  to  a  rock  near 
the  tree,  said  these  words :  ' '  Open,  Sesame. ' '  Instantly  a  door 
opened  in  the  rock,  and  all  the  troop  then  entered  and  the  door 
shut  of  itself. 

The  thieves  stayed  some  time  within  the  rock,  during  which 
Ali  Baba,  fearful  of  being  caught,  remained  in  the  tree.  At  last 
the  door  opened  again.  The  captain  came  out  first,  and  stood 
to  see  them  all  pass  by  him.  Then  Ali  Baba  heard  him  make 
the  door  close  by  saying  these  words:  "  Shut,  Sesame."  Every 
man  at  once  went  and  bridled  his  horse  and  mounted  again. 
When  the  captain  saw  them  all  ready,  he  put  himself  at  their 
head,  and  they  departed  the  way  they  had  come. 

Ali  Baba  followed  them  with  his  eyes  as  far  as  he  could  see 
them,  and  afterwards  waited  for  some  time  before  he  descended. 
Remembering  the  words  the  captain  of  the  thieves  used  to  cause 
the  door  to  open,  he  thought  he  would  try  if  his  saying  the  same 
words  would  have  the  same  effect.  Accordingly  he  went  among 
the  shrubs,  and,  seeing  the  door,  stood  before  it,  and  said, 
"Open,  Sesame."  The  door  instantly  flew  wide  open.  Ali 


233 

Baba,  who  expected  to  find  a  dark,  dismal  cavern,  was  surprised 
to  see  a  chamber  lighted  from  an  opening  at  the  top  of  the  rock. 
In  this  chamber  were  all  sorts  of  provisions, —  rich  bales  of 
silk,  valuable  carpeting,  gold  and  silver  bars  in  great  heaps,  and 
money  in  bags.  The  sight  of  all  these  riches  made  AH  Baba 
suppose  that  this  cave  must  have  been  occupied  by  robbers  for  a 
long  time.  He  took  as  many  of  the  bags  of  gold  as  he  thought 
his  asses  could  carry,  and  having  loaded  them,  he  laid  wood 
over  the  bags  in  such  a  manner  that  they  could  not  be  seen. 
After  passing  in  and  out  as  often  as  he  wished,  he  stood  before 
the  door,  and  said  the  words,  "  Shut,  Sesame."  Immediately 
the  door  closed  of  itself.  He  then  returned  to  the  town. 

When  he  got  home,  AH  Baba  drove  his  asses  into  a  little  yard, 
shut  the  gates  very  carefully,  threw  off  the  wood,  carried  the  bags 
into  his  house,  and  ranged  them  in  order  before  his  wife.  He 
then  emptied  them  upon  the  floor,  and  the  great  heap  of  gold 
dazzled  his  wife's  eyes.  He  told  her  the  whole  adventure  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  requested  her  to  keep  it  secret.  She 
rejoiced  very  much  at  their  good  fortune,  and  wished  to  count 
all  the  gold,  piece  by  piece.  "  Wife,"  said  AH  Baba,  "  you  do 
not  know  what  you  undertake  when  you  try  to  count  the  money; 
you  will  never  have  done.  I  will  dig  a  hole,  and  bury  it.  There 
is  no  time  to  be  lost. "  "  You  are  right,  husband, ' '  replied  she, 
"  but  I  would  like  to  know,  as  near  as  possible,  how  much  we 
have.  I  will  borrow  a  small  measure,  and  measure  it,  while 
you  dig  the  hole." 

Away  she  then  ran  to  the  house  of  her  brother-in-law  Cassim, 
who  lived  close  by,  and  requested  his  wife  to  lend  her  a  measure 
for  a  little  while.  Her  sister-in-law  asked  whether*  she  would 
have  a  large  or  a  small  one.  The  other  asked  for  a  small  one. 
She  bade  her  stay  a  little,  and  she  would  fetch  it.  Now  Cassim's 
wife  was  curious  to  know  what  sort  of  grain  AH  Baba's  wife 
wanted  to  measure,  and  so,  putting  some  suet  at  the  bottom  of 
the  vessel,  she  brought  it  to  her,  with  an  .  excuse  that  she  was 
sorry  to  have  made  her  wait  so  long. 


234 

Ali  Baba's  wife  then  went  home,  set  the  measure  upon  the 
heap  of  gold,  filled  it,  and  emptied  it  upon  the  sofa,  and  so 
continued  till  she  had  measured  all  the  gold.  She  then  told  her 
husband  how  many  measures  there  were,  and  while  he  was  bury- 
ing the  treasure,  she  carried  the  vessel  back  to  her  sister-in-law. 
"  Sister,"  said  she,  "  you  see  I  have  not  kept  your  measure 
long.  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  it,  and  return  it  with  thanks. ' ' 

As  soon  as  Ali  Baba's  wife  was  gone,  Cassim's  wife  looked  at 
the  bottom  of  the  measure,  and  was  surprised  to  find  a  piece  of 
gold  sticking  to  it.  "  What!  "  said  she,  "  has  Ali  Baba  gold  so 
plentiful  as  to  measure  it  ?  Where  has  he  got  all  this  wealth  ?  ' ' 
When  her  husband  came  home,  she  said  to  him,  "  Cassim,  I 
know  you  think .  yourself  rich,  but  Ali  Baba  is  richer  than  you. 
He  does  not  count  his  money,  but  measures  it."  Cassim  asked 
her  what  she  meant.  Then  she  told  him  how  she  had  made 
the  discovery,  and  showed  him  the  piece  of  money,  which 
was  so  old  that  they  could  not  tell  in  what  prince's  reign  it  was 
coined. 

Cassim,  after  he  had  married  the  rich  wife,  had  never  treated 
Ali  Baba  as  a  brother,  but  neglected  him,  and  now,  instead  of 
being  pleased,  he  envied  his  brother  because  of  his  prosperity. 
He  could  not  sleep  all  that  night,  and  went  to  him  in  the 
morning  before  sunrise.  "  Ali  Baba,"  said  he,  "  I  am  surprised 
at  you ;  you  pretend  to  be  poor,  and  yet  you  measure  gold.  My 
wife  found  this  at  the  bottom  of  the  measure  you  borrowed  yes- 
terday."  Ali  Baba  saw  that  Cassim  and  his  wife,  through  his 
own  wife's  folly,  knew  what  he  had  so  much  reason  to  conceal. 
But  what  was  done  could  not  be  undone.  Therefore,  without 
showing  the  least  surprise  or  anger,  he  told  his  brother  all,  and 
offered  him  part  of  his  treasure  to  keep  the  secret.  "  I  expect 
as  much, ' '  replied  Cassim,  haughtily,  ' '  but  I  must  know  exactly 
where  this  treasure  is,  and  how  I  may  visit  it  myself  when  I 
choose.  If  you  do  not  tell  me,  I  will  go  and  inform  against  you, 
and  then  you  will  get  no  more,  and  lose  all  you  have,  and  I 
shall  have  a  share  for  my  information."  Ali  Baba  told  him  all 


he  desired,  even  to  the  very  words  he  was  to  use  to  open  the 
door  of  the  cave. 

Cassim  rose  the  next  morning  long  before  the  sun,  and  set  out  for 
the  forest,  with  ten  mules  bearing  great  chests  which  he  intended 
to  fill.  Following  the  road  Ali  Baba  had  pointed  out  to  him,  he 
was  not  long  before  he  reached  the  rock.  He  found  out  the 
place  by  the  tree  and  other  marks  which  his  brother  had  given 
him.  When  he  reached  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  he  said  the 
words,  "  Open,  Sesame."  The  door  immediately  opened,  and, 
when  he  was  in,  closed  upon  him.  He  quickly  laid  as  many 
bags  of  gold  as  he  could  carry,  at  the  door,  but  his  thoughts  were 
so  full  of  the  riches  he  should  possess  that  he  could  not  think 
of  the  words  to  make  it  open.  Instead  of  "  Open,  Sesame,"  he 
said,  "  Open,  Barley!  "  and  was  much  surprised  to  find  that  the 
door  remained  fast  shut.  He  named  several  sorts  of  grain,  but 
still  the  door  would  not  open. 

Cassim  had  never  expected  this,  and  he  was  so  alarmed  at  the 
danger  he  was  in  that  he  threw  aside  the  bags,  and  walked  up 
and  down  the  cave,  without  having  the  least  regard  to  the  riches 
that  were  around  him. 

About  noon  the  thieves  came  to  visit  the  cave.  When  at 
some  distance  from  the  rock,  they  saw  Cassim' s  mules  straggling 
about  with  great  chests  on  their  backs.  Alarmed  at  this,  they 
galloped  full  speed  to  the  cave.  They  went  directly,  with  their 
daggers  in  their  hands,  to  the  door,  which,  on  the  captain  say- 
ing the  proper  words,  immediately  opened.  Cassim,  who  heard 
the  noise  of  the  horses'  feet,  at  once  guessed  the  arrival  of  the 
thieves,  and  resolved  to  make  an  effort  for  his  life.  He  rushed 
to  the  door,  ran  out,  and  knocked  the  leader  down,  but  could 
not  escape  the  others,  who  instantly  killed  him. 

The  robbers  then  examined  the  cave.  They  found  all  the 
bags  which  Cassim  had  brought  to  the  door,  and  carried  them 
again  to  their  places,  but  they  did  not  miss  what  Ali  Baba  had 
taken.  Then,  to  terrify  any  person  who  should  attempt  the 
same  thing,  they  cut  Cassim' s  body  into  quarters,  and  hung  two 


236 

on  one  side,  and  two  on  the  other,  within  the  door  of  the  cave. 
After  doing  this,  they  shut  the  door,  mounted  their  horses,  and 
rode  away. 

In  the  mean  time  Cassim's  wife  was  very  uneasy  when  night 
came  and  her  husband  did  not  return.  She  ran  to  AH  Baba  in 
great  alarm,  and  said,  "  I  believe,  brother-in-law,  that  you  know 
Cassim  is  gone  to  the  forest,  and  upon  what  business.  It  is  now 
night,  and  he  has  not  returned;  I  am  afraid  some  misfortune  has 
happened  to  him."  AH  Baba  told  her  that  she  need  not  be 
uneasy,  for  that  Cassim  would  not  think  it  safe  to  come  into 
the  town  until  the  night  should  be  pretty  far  advanced.  She 
then  went  home  and  waited  patiently  till  midnight,  but  Cassim 
not  yet  returning,  she  now  repented  her  foolish  curiosity  in  pry- 
ing into  the  affairs  of  her  brother  and  sister-in-law.  She  spent 
all  the  night  weeping,  and,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  went  to  them, 
telling  by  her  tears  that  her  husband  had  not  come  home. 

Ali  Baba  did  not  wait  for  his  sister-in-law  to  ask  him  to  go  to 
see  what  had  happened  to  Cassim,  but  departed  immediately 
with  three  asses.  He  went  to  the  forest,  and  when  he  came 
near  the  rock  he  said  the  words,  "Open,  Sesame,"  and  the  door 
opened.  At  the  sight  of  his  brother's  body  he  was  struck  with 
horror.  He  was  not  long  in  determining  what  to  do.  Going 
into  the  cave,  he  wrapped  the  body  up  in  a  cloth,  and  placed  it 
on  one  of  the  asses,  covering  it  over  with  wood.  The  other  two 
asses  he  loaded  with  bags  of  gold,  and  then  bidding  the  door 
shut,  came  away.  But  he  was  so  cautious  as  to  wait  some  time 
at  the  end  of  the  forest,  that  he  might  not  go  into  the  town  be- 
fore night.  When  he  came  home,  he  drove  the  two  asses  loaded 
with  gold  into  his  little  yard,  and  left  the  care  of  unloading  them 
to  his  wife,  while  he  led  the  other  to  his  sister-in-law's  house. 

Ali  Baba  knocked  at  the  door,  which  was  opened  by  Morgiana, 
a  clever,  intelligent,  female  slave.  When  he  came  into  the  yard, 
he  unloaded  the  ass,  and,  taking  Morgiana  aside,  said  to  her, 
"  You  must  keep  this  matter  secret.  Your  master's  body  is  con- 
tained in  this  cloth.  We  must  bury  him  as  if  he  died  a  natural 


237 

death.  Go  now  and  tell  your  mistress. ' '  He  then  returned  to 
his  own  house. 

Morgiana  went  next  morning  to  an  apothecary's  shop  and 
bought  some  medicine.  The  apothecary  asked  who  was  ill.  She 
replied,  with  a  sigh,  "  My  good  master,  Cassim  himself.  He 
can  neither  eat  nor  speak."  In  the  evening  she  went  to  the 
same  shop  again,  and,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  asked  for  medi- 
cine which  they  gave  to  sick  people  only  when  at  the  point 
of  death.  "  Alas,"  said  she,  taking  it  from  the  apothecary, 
"  I  am  afraid  that  this  remedy  will  have  no  better  effect  than 
the  other,  and  that  I  will  lose  my  master."  Nobody  was  sur- 
prised, therefore,  to  hear  in  the  evening  that  Cassim  was  dead. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak,  Morgiana  went  to  an  old  cob- 
bler whom  she  knew  to  be  always  early  at  his  stall,  and,  bidding 
him  good  morrow,  put  a  piece  of  gold  in  his  hand,  saying,  ' '  Baba 
Mustapha,  bring  with  you  your  sewing  tackle,  and  come  with  me; 
but  I  must  tell  you,  I  shall  blindfold  you  before  you  come  to 
where  you  are  wanted." 

Baba  Mustapha  went  with  Morgiana,  and  after  she  had  bound 
his  eyes  with  a  handkerchief  at  some  distance  off,  she  led  him  to 
her  master's  house,  and  did  not  take  the  bandage  off  his  eyes  till 
he  had  entered  the  room  where  she  had  put  the  corpse.  "  Baba 
Mustapha,"  said  she,  "  you  must  make  haste  and  sew  the  parts 
of  this  body  together,  and  when  you  have  done,  I  will  give  you 
another  piece  of  gold. ' '  After  Baba  Mustapha  had  finished  his 
task,  she  blindfolded  him  again,  gave  him  the  piece  of  gold,  as 
she  had  promised,  and  led  him  back  to  the  place  where  she  had 
first  bound  his  eyes.  Then  she  pulled  off  the  bandage,  and  let 
him  go,  but  watched  him  till  he  was  quite  out  of  sight,  for  fear 
he  should  return  and  try  to  find  out  where  he  had  been.  Fun- 
eral ceremonies  were  then  performed,  and  Cassim  was  buried. 
Three  or  four  days  after  the  funeral,  Ali  Baba  removed  his  goods 
and  furniture  to  his  sister-in-law's  house,  in  which  it  was  agreed 
that  he  should  in  future  live.  Cassim's  warehouse  was  entrusted 
entirely  to  the  management  of  his  eldest  son. 


In  the  mean  time  the  forty  thieves  again  visited  the  cave  in  the 
forest.  Great  was  their  surprise  to  find  Cassim's  body  taken 
away,  and  also  several  of  their  bags  of  gold.  ' '  We  are  certainly 
discovered, ' '  said  the  captain.  ' '  The  removal  of  the  body,  and 
the  loss  of  some  of  our  money,  plainly  show  that  the  man  we 
killed  had  a  companion  here,  and  for  our  own  safety  we  must  try 
and  find  him.  What  say  you,  my  lads  ?  "  All  the  thieves  ap- 
proved of  the  captain's  proposal.  "  Well,"  said  the  captain, 
"  one  of  you,  the  boldest  and  most  skillful,  must  immediately  go 
into  the  town,  disguised  as  a  traveler  and  a  stranger,  and  inquire 
about  the  man  we  have  killed,  and  try  to  find  out  who  he  was 
and  where  he  lived.  This  is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  importance, 
and,  for  fear  of  any  treachery,  I  propose  that  whoever  undertakes 
the  business,  and  does  not  succeed,  shall  suffer  death. ' '  Imme- 
diately one  of  the  thieves  started  up,  and  said,  "  I  agree  to  this 
condition,  and  think  it  an  honor  to  serve  the  troop,  even  at  the 
risk  of  my  life. ' ' 

This  thief  then  disguised  himself,  and,  taking  leave  of  the 
troop  that  night,  went  into  the  town  just  at  daybreak.  He 
walked  up  and  down  till  he  happened  to  come  to  Baba  Musta- 
pha's  stall,  which  was  always  open  before  any  of  the  shops. 
Baba  Mustapha  was  seated  with  an  awl  in  his  hand,  just  going  to 
work.  The  robber  saluted  him,  bidding  him  good  morrow,  and, 
seeing  that  he  was  old,  said,  "  Honest  man,  you  begin  to  work 
very  early;  is  it  possible  that  one  of  your  age  can  see  so  well  ?  " 
"  You  do  not  know  me,"  replied  Baba  Mustapha;  "  for  old  as 
I  am,  I  have  good  eyes.  You  will  not  doubt  it  when  I  tell  you 
that  I  sewed  the  body  of  a  dead  man  together  in  a  place  where 
I  had  not  so  much  light  as  I  have  now. "  "A  dead  body !  ' ' 
exclaimed  the  thief,  pretending  to  be  astonished.  ' '  Yes, ' '  an- 
swered Baba  Mustapha.  ' '  No  doubt  you  want  to  hear  all  about 
it,  but  you  shall  know  no  more. ' ' 

The  thief  felt  sure  that  he  had  discovered  what  he  was  in 
Search  of.  He  pulled  out  a  piece  of  gold,  and,  putting  it  into 
Baba  Mustapha's  hand,  said  to  him,  "  I  do  not  want  to  learn 


239 

your  secret,  though  I  assure  you,  you  might  safely  trust  me  with 
it.  The  only  thing  I  desire  of  you  is  to  show  me  the  house 
where  you  stitched  up  the  dead  body. "  "  Even  though  I  were 
willing  to  do  that, ' '  replied  Baba  Mustapha,  ' '  I  assure  you  I  can- 
not. I  was  taken  to  a  place  from  which  I  was  led  blindfold  to 
the  house,  and  afterwards  brought  back  again  in  the  same  man- 
ner. You  see,  therefore,  that  I  cannot  do  what  you  desire." 
"  Well,"  replied  the  thief,  "  you  may,  however,  remember  a 
little  of  the  way  that  you  were  led  blindfold.  Come,  let  me 
blind  your  eyes  at  the  same  place.  We  will  walk  together;  per- 
haps you  may  know  some  part,  and  as  everybody  ought  to  be 
paid  for  his  trouble,  here  is  another  piece  of  gold  for  you. ' '  So 
saying,  he  put  another  piece  of  gold  into  his  hand. 

The  two  pieces  of  gold  were  a  great  temptation  to  Baba  Mus- 
tapha. He  looked  at  them  a  long  time,  without  saying  a  word, 
but  at  last  he  pulled  out  his  purse  and  put  them  in.  "I  cannot 
promise,"  said  he,  "  that  I  shall  remember  the  way  exactly;  but 
I  will  try  what  I  can  do. ' '  He  then  led  the  robber  to  the  place 
where  Morgiana  bound  his  eyes.  "  It  was  here,"  said  Baba 
Mustapha,  "  I  was  blindfolded,  and  I  turned  this  way."  The 
thief  tied  a  handkerchief  over  his  eyes,  and  walked  by  him  till 
he  stopped  in  front  of  Cassim's  house,  where  Ali  Baba  lived. 
Before  taking  off  the  bandage  the  thief  marked  the  door  with  a 
piece  of  chalk,  which  he  had  ready  in  his  hand,  and  then  asked 
the  cobbler  if  he  knew  whose  house  that  was.  Baba  Mustapha 
replied  that  as  he  did  not  live  in  the  neighborhood,  he  could 
not  tell.  The  thief,  finding  that  he  could  discover  no  more  from 
Baba  Mustapha,  thanked  him  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken,  and 
left  him  to  go  back  to  his  stall,  while  he  himself  returned  to 
the  forest. 

A  little  while  after  the  thief  and  Baba  Mustapha  had  parted, 
Morgiana  went  out  of  Ali  Baba's  house  upon  some  errand,  and 
on  her  return,  seeing  the  mark  the  robber  had  made  on  the  door, 
she  stopped  to  look  at  it.  "  What  can  be  the  meaning  of  this 
mark?"  said  she  to  herself;  "somebody  intends  evil  to  my 


240 

master. ' '  She  then  fetched  a  piece  of  chalk,  and  marked  two  or 
three  doors  on  each  side,  in  the  same  manner,  without  saying  a 
word  to  her  master  or  mistress. 

In  the  mean  time  the  thief  rejoined  his  troop  in  the  forest, 
and  told  them  what  he  had  done.  They  listened  to  him  with 
the  utmost  satisfaction.  Then  the  captain,  addressing  them,  said, 
"  Comrades,  we  have  no  time  to  lose;  let  us  set  off  well  armed. 
But  that  we  may  not  excite  suspicion,  let  only  one  or  two  go  into 
the  city  together,  and  all  join  at  our  meeting  place,  which  shall 
be  the  great  square.  Meantime,  our  comrade  who  brought  us 
the  good  news,  and  I,  will  go  and  find  out  the  house."  They 
accordingly  started  off  in  parties  of  two  each,  and  got  into  the 
towji  without  being  suspected,  the  captain,  and  he  who  had 
visited  the  town  in  the  morning  as  a  spy,  coming  in  last.  The 
spy  led  the  captain  into  the  street  where  he  had  marked  Ali 
Baba's  door,  and  when  they  came  to  the  first  of  the  houses  which 
Morgiana  had  marked,  he  pointed  it  out.  But  the  captain  no- 
ticed that  the  next  door  was  marked  in  the  same  manner,  and 
showing  it  to  his  guide,  he  asked  him  which  house  it  was,  that, 
or  the  first.  The  spy  was  so  confused  that  he  knew  not  what 
answer  to  make,  and  he  was  still  more  puzzled  when  they  saw 
five  or  six  doors  similarly  marked.  He  could  not,  therefore, 
tell  the  house  at  which  the  cobbler  had  stopped. 

The  captain,  finding  that  their  scheme  had  proved  a  failure, 
went  to  the  place  of  meeting  and  told  his  troop  that  they  had 
lost  their  labor,  and  must  return  to  their  cave.  This  they  ac- 
cordingly did,  and  the  spy,  not  having  succeeded,  was  put  to 
death,  as  had  been  agreed. 

Another  of  the  gang  then  offered  to  try  what  he  could  do,  and 
he  went  to  Baba  Mustapha  and  gave  him  pieces  of  gold,  as  the 
first  spy  had  done.  When  Baba  had  shown  the  house,  he 
marked  the  door  with  chalk,  but  he  used  red  chalk,  and  he 
made  the  mark  in  a  place  where  he  thought  it  would  not  be 
easily  noticed.  Not  long  afterwards  Morgiana  came  out.  The 
mark  on  the  door  did  not  escape  her  eyes.  She  saw  it,  and 


241 

thinking,  as  before,  that  it  meant  evil  to  her  master,  she  marked 
the  other  doors,  using  red  chalk  too.  Again  the  thieves  went 
into  the  town,  and  again  their  scheme  proved  a  failure,  for  the 
second  spy  could  not  point  out  the  door,  being  confused,  as  the 
first  had  been,  by  finding  several  doors  marked.  He  also  was 
put  to  death. 

The  captain  now  resolved  to  take  upon  himself  the  task  of 
finding  the  house.  Accordingly  he  went  to  Baba  Mustapha,  who 
did  for  him  what  he  had  done  for  the  other  thieves.  The  cap- 
tain, however,  did  not  mark  the  door,  but  he  examined  and 
noticed  it  carefully,  making  sure  that  he  should  know  it  again. 
He  then  returned  to  the  forest,  and  when  he  entered  the  cave 
where  the  troop  waited  for  him,  he  said,  "  Now,  comrades,  noth- 
ing can  prevent  our  full  revenge,  as  I  am  certain  of  the  house, 
and  on  my  way  I  have  thought  of  a  plan  which  I  believe  will  be 
successful. ' '  He  then  ordered  them  to  go  into  the  villages  about, 
and  buy  nineteen  mules,  with  thirty-eight  large  leather  jars,  one 
full  of  oil,  and  the  others  empty. 

In  two  or  three  days  the  thieves  had  purchased  the  mules  and 
jars,  and  as  the  mouths  of  the  jars  were  too  narrqw,  the  captain 
caused  them  to  be  widened.  Then,  putting  one  of  his  men  into 
each,  with  the  weapons  which  he  thought  fit,  and  leaving  open  a 
seam  to  give  them  room  to  breathe,  he  rubbed  the  jars  on  the 
outside  with  oil  from  the  full  vessel.  When  the  nineteen  mules 
were  loaded  with  thirty-seven  thieves  in  jars,  and  the  jar  of  oil, 
the  captain,  as  their  driver,  set  out  with  them,  and  reached  the 
town  by  the  dusk  of  the  evening.  He  led  them  through  the 
streets  till  he  came  to  AH  Baba's  house,  at  the  door  of  which  he 
had  intended  to  knock.  But  AH  Baba  himself  was  just  then  sit- 
ting there  after  supper  to  take  a  little  fresh  air.  The  captain 
stopped  his  mules  and  said,  "  I  have  brought  some  oil  a  great 
way,  to  sell  at  to-morrow's  market,  and  it  is  so  late  that  I  have 
not  time  to  search  for  a  place  to  lodge.  Do  me  the  favor  to  let 
me  pass  the  night  with  you,  and  I  shall  be  very  much  obliged." 

>io\v,  though  AH  Baba  had  seen  the  captain  of  the  thieves  in 

ARAHIAN   NIGHTS — l6 


242 

the  forest,  and  had  heard  him  speak,  he  did  not  know  him  in  the 
dress  of  an  oil  merchant.  He  told  him  he  should  be  welcome, 
and  immediately  opened  his  gates  for  the  mules  to  go  into  the 
yard.  At  the  same  time  he  called  to  his  slave,  Abdalla,  and 
ordered  him  to  put  the  mules  into  the  stable  and  feed  them. 
He  then  bade  Morgiana  get  a  good  supper  for  his  guest.  After 
the  captain  had  finished  supper,  Ali  Baba  said  to  Morgiana,  ' '  To- 
morrow I  go  to  the  bath  before  day;  take  care  that  my  bathing 
linen  be  ready,  give  it  to  Abdalla,  and  have  some  good  broth 
ready  for  me  by  the  time  I  return. ' '  He  then  went  to  bed. 

In  the  mean  time  the  captain  of  the  thieves  went  into  the  yard, 
and,  taking  off  the  lid  of  each  jar,  gave  his  people  orders  what 
to  do.  Beginning  at  the  first  jar,  and  so  on  to  the  last,  he  said 
to  each  man,  "  As  soon  as  I  throw  some  stones  out  of  the  win- 
dow of  the  room  in  which  I  lie,  do  not  fail  to  come  out,  and  I 
will  immediately  join  you. ' '  After  this,  he  returned  to  the  house, 
and  Morgiana,  taking  a  light,  conducted  him  to  his  chamber, 
where  she  left  him.  He  put  the  light  out  soon  afterwards,  and 
laid  himself  down  in  his  clothes. 

Morgiana,  remembering  Ali  Baba's  orders,  got  his  bathing 
linen  ready,  and  told  Abdalla  to  set  on  the  pot  for  the  broth. 
But  while  she  was  preparing  it,  the  lamp  went  out,  and  there 
was  no  more  oil  in  the  house,  nor  were  there  any  candles.  Ab- 
dalla, seeing  her  very  uneasy,  said,  ' '  Do  not  fret,  but  go  into 
the  yard,  and  take  some  oil  out  of  one  of  the  jars." 

Thanking  Abdalla  for  his  advice,  Morgiana  took  the  oil  pot, 
and  went  into  the  yard.  When  she  came  near  the  first  jar,  the 
thief  within  said  softly,  "  Is  it  time  ?  "  Though  much  surprised 
at  finding  that  there  was  a  man  in  the  jar  instead  of  the  oil  she 
wanted,  Morgiana  felt  the  importance  of  keeping  silence, 
as  she  suspected  that  Ali  Baba,  his  family,  and  herself  were 
in  great  danger.  Without  showing  the  least  feeling  she  answered, 
"  Not  yet,  but  presently."  She  went  quietly  in  this  manner  to 
all  the  jars,  giving  to  each  thief  the  same  answer  to  the  same 
question,  till  shs  came  to  the  jar  of  oil.  By  this  means  Mor- 


243 

giana  found  out  that  her  master,  Ali  Baba,  had  admitted  thirty- 
eight  thieves,  and  that  the  pretended  oil  merchant  was  their 
captain.  She  made  what  haste  she  could  to  fill  her  oil  pot,  and 
returned  into  the  kitchen.  Then,  having  lighted  her  lamp,  she 
took  a  great  kettle,  went  again  to  the  oil  jar,  filled  the  kettle, 
set  it  on  a  large  wood  fire,  and,  as  soon  as  it  boiled,  went  and 
poured  enough  into  every  jar  to  destroy  the  thief  within. 

When  Morgiana  had  performed  this  courageous  act,  she  re- 
turned to  the  kitchen  with  the  empty  kettle.  Then  she  put  out 
the  lamp,  and  remained  silent,  resolving  not  to  go  to  rest  till 
she  had  seen  through  a  window  of  the  kitchen,  which  opened 
into  the  yard,  what  would  happen.  Soon  the  captain  of  the 
thieves  got  up  -and  opened  the  window.  Seeing  no  light,  and 
hearing  no  noise,  he  gave  the  appointed  signal  by  throwing  little 
stones,  several  of  which  hit  the  jars.  He  then  listened,  but  not 
hearing  anything  from  which  he  could  judge  that  his  companions 
stirred,  he  began  to  grow  uneasy,  and  he  threw  stones  a  second 
and  a  third  time.  Receiving  no  answer,  and  becoming  much 
alarmed,  he  went  softly  down  into  the  yard,  and  going  to  the  first 
jar,  whilst  asking  the  thief,  whom  he  thought  alive,  if  he  was 
in  readiness,  he  smelled  the  boiled  oil,  which  sent  forth  a  steam. 
Then  he  examined  all  the  jars,  one  after  another,  and  found 
that  all  his  gang  were  dead.  Greatly  terrified  at  this  discovery, 
he  forced  the  lock  of  a  door  that  led  from  the  yard  to  a  garden, 
and,  climbing  over  the  walls,  made  his  escape.  Morgiana  then 
went  to  bed,  satisfied  and  pleased  to  have  succeeded  so  well  in 
saving  her  master  and  his  family. 

Ali  Baba  rose  before  day,  and,  followed  by  his  slave,  went  to 
the  baths,  ignorant  of  what  had  happened  at  home.  When  he 
returned,  he  was  much  surprised  to  see  the  oil  jars,  and  to  find 
that  the  merchant  had  not  taken  away  the  mules.  He  asked 
Morgiana  the  reason  of  it.  "  My  good  master,"  answered  she, 
"  God  preserve  you  and  all  your  family.  You  will  be  better 
informed  of  what  you  wish  to  know  when  you  have  seen  what  I 
have  to  show  you. ' '  She  then  took  him  out,  and  let  him  see 


244 

what  was  in  the  jars,  after  which  she  told  him  all  she  had  done, 
from  first  observing  the  mark  upon  the  door,  to  the  destruction 
of  the  thieves,  and  the  flight  of  their  captain.  On  hearing  of 
these  brave  deeds  from  the  lips  of  Morgiana,  AH  Baba  said  to 
her,  "  God,  by  your  means,  has  saved  me  from  the  snares  these 
thieves  laid  for  my  destruction.  Therefore  I  owe  my  life  to  you, 
and,  as  a  proof  of  my  gratitude,  I  give  you  your  liberty  from, 
this  moment." 

Now  Ali  Baba's  garden  was  very  long,  and  shaded  at  the  farther 
end  by  a  great  number  of  large  trees.  Near  these  he  and  the 
slave  Abdalla  dug  a  trench  in  which  they  buried  the  bodies  of 
the  thieves.  When  this  was  done,  Ali  Baba  hid  the  jars  and 
weapons,  and  as  he  had  no  need  for  the  mules,  he  sent  them  at 
different  times  to  be  sold  in  the  market  by  his  slave. 

Meantime,  the  captain  of  the  thieves  returned  to  the  forest. 
He  did  not  stay  long,  for  he  resolved  to  have  revenge  on  Ali 
Baba,  and  by  some  means  bring  about  his  death.  With  this  ob- 
ject he  went  back  to  the  town,  and  took  lodgings  in  a  khan, 
pretending  that  he  was  a  merchant  dealing  in  silks,  and  giving 
himself  the  name  of  Cogia  Houssain.  He  gradually  conveyed 
a  stock  of  silks  and  linen  from  the  cave  to  his  lodging,  and  in 
order  to  sell  them  he  hired  a  store  near  the  place  occupied  by 
Ali  Baba's  son.  The  two  men  very  soon  became  acquainted, 
and  they  often  visited  each  other  as  friends.  One  day  they  took 
a  walk  together,  and  as  they  returned,  Ali  Baba's  son  took  Cogia 
Houssain  through  the  street  where  his  father  lived,  and,  when 
they  came  to  the  house,  stopped  and  knocked  at  the  door. 

Ali  Baba  received  Cogia  Houssain  in  a  very  friendly  manner, 
and  after  a  little  conversation  invited  him  to  remain  for  supper. 
"  Sir,"  replied  Cogia  Houssain,  "  you  must  excuse  me.  I  can 
eat  no  food  that  contains  salt;  therefore  I  should  be  a  very  dis- 
agreeable guest  at  your  table. "  "  Let  that  not  prevent  you  from 
accepting  my  invitation,"  said  Ali  Baba,  "  for  there  is  no  salt 
ever  put  in  my  bread,  and  I  shall  take  care  that  there  shall  be 
no  salt  on  the  meat  we  shall  have  for  supper. ' '  Cogia  Houssain 


245 

then  consented  to  stay,  and  Ali  Baba  went  into  the  kitchen,  and 
ordered  Morgiana  to  put  no  salt  in  the  food  she  was  preparing 
for  their  evening  meal.  Morgiana  was  surprised  at  this  order. 
"  Who  is  the  strange  man,"  she  asked,  '  who  eats  no  salt  with 
his  meat  ?  "  "  Do  not  be  angry,  Morgiana,"  replied  Ali  Baba; 
"  he  is  an  honest  man,  therefore  do  as  I  bid  you." 

Morgiana  obeyed,  but  she  wished  to  see  this  man  who  ate  no 
salt.  Therefore,  when  she  had  finished  what  she  had  to  do  in  the 
kitchen,  she  helped  Abdalla  to  carry  up  the  dishes.  Looking  at 
Cogia  Houssain,  she  knew  him  at  first  sight  to  be  the  captain  of 
the  thieves,  and  observing  him  very  carefully,  she  saw  that  he 
had  a  dagger  under  his  garment.  "  I  am  not  surprised,"  said 
she  to  herself,  "  that  this  wicked  man,  who  is  my  master's 
greatest  enemy,  would  eat  no  salt  with  him,  since  he  intends  to 
kill  him;  but  I  will  prevent  his  evil  design." 

She  then  retired,  and  after  supper  she  dressed  herself  neatly, 
with  a  headdress  like  a  dancer,  girded  her  waist  with  a  silver-gilt 
girdle,  to  which  there  hung  a  dagger  with  a  hilt  and  guard  of 
silver,  and  put  on  a  handsome  mask  on  her  face.  Then  she  said 
to  Abdalla,  "  Take  your  tabor,  and  let  us  go  and  amuse  our 
master  and  his  son's  friend,  as  we  do  sometimes  when  he  is 
alone."  Abdalla  took  his  tabor  and  played  all  the  way  into  the 
hall  before  Morgiana,  who,  when  she  came  to  the  door,  made  a 
low  bow.  "  Come  in,  Morgiana,"  said  Ali  Baba,  "  and  let  Cogia 
Houssain  see  what  you  can  do,  that  he  may  tell  us  what  he  thinks 
of  your  performance. ' ' 

Abdalla  then  began  to  play  on  the  tabor,  and  accompanied  it 
with  an  air,  to  which  Morgiana  danced  in  such  a  manner  as  would 
have  created  admiration  in  any  company.  After  she  had  danced 
several  dances  with  much  grace,  she  drew  the  dagger,  and,  hold- 
ing it  in  her  hand,  began  a  dance  in  which  she  outdid  herself  by 
the  many  different  figures,  light  movements,  and  the  surprising 
leaps  with  which  she  accompanied  it.  Sometimes  she  pointed 
the  dagger  at  the  breast  of  one  of  the  company,  sometimes  at 
another,  and  oftentimes  seemed  to  strike  her  own.  At  last  she 


Drawn  by  R.  B.  Birch, 


(246) 


MORGIANA'S  DANCE. 


247 

snatched  the  tabor  from  Abdalla  with  her  left  hand,  and,  holding 
the  dagger  in  her  right,  turned  the  other  side  of  the  tabor,  after 
the  manner  of  those  who  get  a  livelihood  by  dancing,  and  ask 
for  money  from  the  spectators.  AH  Baba  put  a  piece  of  gold 
into  the  tabor.  His  son  did  the  same,  and  Cogia  Houssain, 
seeing  that  she  was  coming  to  him,  pulled  out  his  purse,  but 
while  he  was  putting  his  hand  into  it,  Morgiana  plunged  the  dag- 
ger into  his  body. 

Ali  Baba  and  his  son,  shocked  at  this  action,  cried  out  aloud. 
' '  Unhappy  woman, ' '  exclaimed  Ali  Baba,  ' '  what  have  you  done 
to  ruin  me  and  my  family  ?  "  "It  was  to  preserve,  not  to  ruin 
you,"  answered  Morgiana;  "for  see  here,"  continued  she, 
opening  the  pretended  Cogia  Houssain' s  garment,  and  showing 
the  dagger,  "  what  an  enemy  you  had  in  your  house.  Look  well 
at  him,  and  you  will  find  him  to  be  both  the  pretended  oil  mer- 
chant, and  the  captain  of  the  gang  of  thieves.  Remember,  too, 
that  he  would  eat  no  salt  with  you;  and  what  would  you  have 
more  to  show  his  wicked  design  ?  ' ' 

Ali  Baba  felt  that  he  owed  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  Morgiana  for 
saving  his  life  a  second  time.  "  Morgiana, ' '  said  he,  "I  gave  you 
your  liberty,  and  then  promised  you  that  my  gratitude  should 
not  stop  there.  I  now  make  you  my  daughter-in-law."  Then 
addressing  his  son,  he  said,  "  I  believe  you,  son,  to  be  so  dutiful 
a  child  that  when  I  command  you,  you  will  not  refuse  to  take 
Morgiana  for  your  wife.  You  see  that  Cogia  Houssain  gained  your 
friendship  with  a  design  to  take  away  my  life.  If  he  had  suc- 
ceeded, there  is  no  doubt  he  would  have  killed  you  also.  Con- 
sider that  by  marrying  Morgiana  you  marry  the  preserver  of  my 
family  and  your  own. ' '  The  son,  far  from  showing  any  dislike, 
readily  consented  to  the  marriage,  and  a  few  days  afterwards 
the  wedding  was  celebrated  with  great  rejoicing. 

Ali  Baba  did  not  visit  the  thieves'  cave  for  a  whole  year,  as  he 
thought  the  two  spies,  whom  he  could  get  no  account  of,  might 
be  alive.  At  the  year's  end,  when  he  found  that  they  had  not  at- 
tempted to  disturb  him,  he  thought  he  would  make  another  jour- 


248 

ney  to  the  cave.  So  he  mounted  his  horse,  and  when  he  came 
to  the  cave  he  alighted,  and  tied  his  horse  to  a  tree.  Then  he 
approached  the  entrance,  and  when  he  said  the  words,  "  Open, 
Sesame,"  the  door  opened.  He  entered  the  cave,  and  from  the 
condition  in  which  he  found  it,  he  was  sure  that  nobody  had  been 
there  since  the  captain  had  fetched  the  goods  for  his  shop.  He 
therefore  believed  that  he  was  the  only  person  in  the  world  who 
had  the  secret  of  opening  the  cave,  and  that  all  the  treasure  was 
his.  After  putting  as  much  gold  into  his  saddlebag  as  his  horse 
could  carry,  he  returned  to  town.  Some  time  later  he  took  his 
son  to  the  cave  and  taught  him  the  secret,  which  he  handed 
down  to  his  children,  who,  by  using  their  good,  fortune  with 
wisdom,  lived  in  great  prosperity  and  happiness. 


STORY  OF  THE  MAN  WHO  REPENTED  WHEN  IT 
WAS  TOO  LATE. 

There  was  once  a  rich  man,  who  died  leaving  no  family  but  a 
young  son.  When  the  son  grew  up  he  was  foolish  and  extrava- 
gant. He  did  nothing  every  day  but  give  parties  and  entertain- 
ments to  his  companions,  and  in  this  way  he  spent  all  his  money, 
He  then  sold  the  houses  and  other  property  his  father  had  left 
him,  and  spent  the  money  in  the  same  way,  till  he  was  so  poor 
that  he  had  to  go  and  work  for  his  living  as  a  day-laborer. 

He  remained  in  this  employment  for  a  few  years.  One  day 
while  he  was  sitting  near  a  wall  waiting  for  some  one  to  hire  him, 
he  was  saluted  by  a  handsome  and  well-dressed  man  who  hap- 
pened to  pass  by.  In  reply  to  the  stranger's  salute,  the  youth 
said,  "  Have  you  known  me  before  now  ?  "  The  man  answered, 
"  I  have  not  known  thee,  my  son,  at  all,  but  I  see  the  signs  of 
wealth  upon  thee,  though  thou  art  now  in  this  poor  condition. ' ' 
The  youth  replied,  "  What  fate  and  fortune  ordained  has  come 
to  pass.  But  have  you  any  business  in  which  to  employ  me  ?  " 
Then  the  man  said  to  him,  "  I  desire  to  employ  thee  in  an  easy 


249 

business.  I  have  with  me  ten  companions  in  one  house,  and  we 
have  no  one  to  attend  upon  us.  Thou  shalt  receive  from  us  thy 
food  and  clothing  and  thy  portion  of  money  if  thou  come  and 
serve  us.  Perhaps  God  will  restore  thy  wealth  by  our  means. ' ' 
The  youth  replied,  ' '  I  hear  and  obey. ' '  Then  the  stranger  said 
to  him,  "  I  have  one  condition  to  impose  upon  thee.  It  is  that 
thou  shalt  keep  secret  all  that  thou  seest  us  do,  and  not  ask  the 
cause  of  our  doings. ' '  The  young  man  agreed  to  this. 

The  stranger  then  brought  him  to  a  bath  and  gave  him  new 
clothes  to  put  on,  and  after  that  he  took  him  to  the  house  where 
he  and  his  companions  lived.  When  the  young  man  entered,  he 
found  it  to  be  a  great  mansion,  with  lofty  rooms,  and  large  halls, 
in  each  of  which  there  was  a  fountain  with  birds  singing  around 
it.  The  stranger  conducted  him  into  a  beautiful  chamber,  which 
had  walls  and  ceiling  of  marble  and  gold,  and  carpets  of  silk. 
In  it  there  were  ten  men  who  sat  facing  one  another,  wearing 
mourning  garments,  and  weeping  and  wailing.  The  young  man 
wondered  very  much  at  this,  and  he  was  about  to  ask  the  cause, 
but  remembering  the  condition  imposed  upon  him,  he  held  his 
tongue. 

The  stranger  then  showed  him  a  chest  containing  thirty  thous- 
and pieces  of  gold,  and  told  him  to  use  the  money  in  buying  what 
was  wanted  for  the  house,  and  what  he  might  need  himself. 
The  young  man  did  so,  and  continued  to  attend  upon  the  stran- 
gers for  some  time  until  one  of  them  died.  His  companions 
then  dressed  the  dead  man  and  buried  him  in  the  garden  behind 
the  mansion.  Soon  afterwards  another  of  them  died  and  he  was 
buried  in  the  same  way,  and  in  a  little  while  another,  and  before 
very  long  they  were  all  dead  except  the  young  man  and  the 
stranger  who  had  hired  him.  Then  they  two  remained  in  the  house 
and  lived  in  it  together  for  several  years.  At  last  the  stranger 
fell  sick,  and  when  the  young  man  saw  that  he  was  near  death,  he 
was  much  grieved,  and  he  said,  "  O  my  master,  I  have  served 
you  faithfully  for  twelve  years,  and  you  have  been  my  friend, 
and  now  I  must  lose  you.  But  I  beg  you  to  tell  me  what  has 


250 

been  the  cause  of  your  weeping,  and  the  mourning  and  wailing 
of  your  companions  who  are  dead  ?  ' '  The  sick  man  answered, 
"  My  son,  you  have  no  concern  with  that,  and  do  not  inquire 
about  it.  If  you  desire  to  be  safe  from  that  which  happened 
to  us,  do  not  open  that  door  [and  he  pointed  with  his  hand  to  a 
door],  for  if  you  do,  you  will  have  cause  to  repent  when  repent- 
ance will  be  too  late. ' '  Then  the  sick  man  got  worse,  and  soon 
he  died,  and  the  young  man  buried  him  in  the  garden  by  the  side 
of  his  companions. 

The  young  man  now  remained  alone  in  the  house,  and  he  re- 
solved not  to  open  the  door.  But  one  day,  thinking  upon  the 
words  of  the  stranger  and  his  caution  not  to  open  the  door,  it 
occurred  to  his  mind  that  he  might  look  at  it.  So  he  went  up  to 
it,  and  he  found  that  it  was  a  beautiful  door,  and  that  the  spiders 
had  woven  their  webs  over  it,  and  that  it  had  locks  of  steel. 
But  while  he  was  looking  at  it,  he  again  remembered  the  caution 
of  the  dead  man,  and  he  went  away  from  the  door,  again  resolv- 
ing not  to  open  it.  In  a  few  days,  however,  he  began  once  more 
to  think  of  the  door,  and  going  up  to  it  again,  he  could  no  longer 
resist  the  temptation  to  open  it.  "I  must  open  that  door,"  he 
said,  "  and  see  what  will  happen  to  me  in  consequence."  And 
so  he  broke  the  locks  and  opened  the  door. 

Then  he  saw  a  narrow  passage,  and  he  walked  along  it  for  three 
hours  until  he  came  upon  the  banks  of  a  great  river.  The  young 
man  wondered  at  this,  and  he  walked  along  the  bank,  looking  to 
the  right  and  left.  In  a  few  minutes  a  great  eagle  appeared 
in  the  sky,  and  it  swooped  down  upon  him  and  seized  him  in  its 
claws.  Then  it  flew  away  with  him,  and,  carrying  him  to  an 
island,  far  out  in  the  sea,  threw  him  down  upon  it,  and  de- 
parted. The  young  man  was  greatly  terrified  and  did  not  know 
what  to  do,  but  while  he  was  sitting  down,  grieving  over  his 
case,  he  saw  the  sail  of  a  vessel  far  off.  He  watched  it  until  it 
came  nearer  and  nearer  and  at  last  it  came  to  the  island.  Then 
he  went  to  the  water's  edge  where  the  vessel  was,  and  he  saw 
that  it  was  a  bark  of  ivory  and  ebony.  The  oars  were  of  sandal- 


251 

wood  and  aloes  wood,  and  the  whole  of  it  was  incased  in  plates 
of  gold. 

In  this  bark  there  were  ten  beautiful  maidens,  and  when  they 
saw  the  young  man  they  landed  and  kissed  his  hands,  saying, 
' '  Thou  art  our  king. ' '  Then  one  of  them  went  up  to  him,  hav- 
ing in  her  hand  a  cloth  of  silk  which  contained  a  royal  robe  and 
a  crown  of  gold  set  with  jewels,  and  she  put  the  robe  on  the 
young  man,  and  put  the  crown  upon  his  head.  Then  they  car- 
ried him  into  the  bark  and  sailed  away. 

When  they  came  in  sight  of  land,  the  young  man  saw  on  the 
shore  a  great  number  of  soldiers  clad  in  coats  of  mail.  As  soon 
as  he  landed,  a  beautiful  horse  was  brought  to  him,  having  a  sad- 
dle of  gold  decked  with  pearls  and  other  precious  stones.  He 
mounted  the  horse,  and  banners  were  set  over  his  head,  drums 
and  cymbals  were  beaten,  and  the  troops  divided  and  marched 
along  beside  him.  They  soon  came  in  sight  of  a  beautiful 
meadow,  in  which  there  were  palaces  and  gardens  and  trees  and 
rivers  and  flowers  and  birds.  From  these  gardens  and  palaces 
there  came  forth  an  army  which  filled  the  meadow,  and  in  front 
of  the  army  rode  a  king  upon  a  magnificent  horse,  with  officers 
following  him. 

The  king  rode  towards  the  young  man,  and,  having  come  up  to 
him,  alighted,  and  the  young  man  did  the  same.  After  saluting 
each  other  politely  they  remounted  their  horses,  and  the  king  said 
to  the  young  man,  "  Accompany  us,  for  thou  art  my  guest." 
So  the  young  man  went  with  the  king,  and  they  rode  on  to  the 
palace,  where  all  alighted  from  their  horses.  Then  they  entered 
the  palace,  and  the  king  seated  the  young  man  on  a  throne  of 
gold  and  sat  down  by  his  side.  And  when  the  king  sat  down 
he  removed  from  his  face  a  veil  which  had  covered  part  of  it,  and 
the  young  man  immediately  saw  that  the  supposed  king  was  a 
lady  of  beauty  and  loveliness.  The  young  man  was  greatly 
surprised,  but  more  so  when  the  lady  said  to  him,  "  O  king,  I 
am  the  queen  of  this  land.  All  these  troops  that  thou  hast  seen 
are  women.  There  are  not  any  men  among  them.  The  men, 


252 

in  this  country,  till,  and  sow,  and  reap,  employing  themselves  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  land,  and  the  building  of  houses,  and  in 
every  kind  of  art  and  trade.  But  as  to  the  women,  they  are  the 
governors,  and  the  magistrates,  and  the  soldiers." 

The  young  man  wondered  exceedingly  at  this.  While  they 
were  talking,  the  vizier  came  in.  She  was  an  old,  gray-haired 
woman  of  venerable  appearance,  and  the  queen  said  to  her, 
"  Vizier,  bring  us  a  magistrate  and  witnesses."  The  old  woman 
immediately  went  out  for  that  purpose,  and  the  queen,  turning 
to  the  young  man,  said  to  him,  "  Art  thou  content  for  me  to  be 
thy  wife  ?  ' '  The  young  man  arose  and  kissed  the  ground  before 
her,  and  replied,  "  O  queen,  I  am  not  worthy.  I  am  less  than 
the  servants  who  serve  thee. "  But  the  queen  bade  him  rise, 
saying,  "  All  these  servants  and  soldiers  and  wealth  and  palaces 
and  gardens  shall  be  thine."  Then,  pointing  to  a  door,  she 
said,  "  Everything  thou  seest  here  thou  canst  make  use  of  ac- 
cording to  thy  pleasure,  but  this  door  thou  must  not  open,  for  if 
thou  open  it,  thou  wilt  repent  when  repentance  will  be  too  late." 
Then  the  vizier  and  the  magistrate  and  the  witnesses,  all  venera- 
ble old  women,  came  in,  and  the  queen  ordered  them  to  perform 
the  ceremony  of  the  marriage  contract.  So  they  married  her  to 
the  young  man,  and  after  the  marriage  they  had  a  grand  feast. 
The  young  man  was  then  a  king,  and  he  lived  with  the  queen  his 
wife  for  seven  years,  passing  the  most  delightful  and  agreeable 
and  happy  life,  and  not  troubling  himself  about  the  door. 

But  one  day  he  thought  he  would  open  it,  for  he  said  to  him- 
self, "  There  must  be  some  very  valuable  treasure  inside  that 
door,  something  far  better  than  anything  I  have  yet  seen,  else 
she  would  not  forbid  me  to  open  it. "  So  he  went  and  opened 
the  door,  but  instead  of  a  treasure,  he  saw  the  great  eagle  that 
had  carried  him  years  before  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
laid  him  down  in  the  island.  The  moment  the  bird  beheld  him, 
it  said,  "  No  welcome  to  a  face  that  will  never  be  happy." 
When  the  young  man  heard  these  words  he  attempted  to  flee, 
but  the  eagle  seized  him  and  carried  him  off.  It  flew  with  him 


253 

for  the  space  of  an  hour,  and  set  him  down  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  from  which  it  had  first  taken  him.  The  young  man  sat  in 
that  place,  and  when  he  thought  of  what  had  happened  to  him 
he  wept  and  'wailed.  He  remained  upon  the  shore  of  the  river 
for  two  months,  wishing  that  he  could  return  to  the  home  of  his 
youth.  But  one  night  while  he  was  awake,  mourning  and  think- 
ing of  what  he  had  lost,  he  heard  a  voice  calling  out,  "  How 
great  were  thy  delights !  Far,  far  from  thee  is  the  return  of  what 
is  past.  And  how  many  will  be  thy  sighs  !  ' '  When  he  heard  this 
he  despaired  of  meeting  the  queen  again,  or  returning  to  the  pal- 
ace in  which  he  had  so  much  happiness.  He  then  entered  the 
mansion  where  the  stranger  and  his  ten  companions  had  resided, 
and  he  knew  that  the  same  had  happened  to  them  as  had  hap- 
pened to  him,  and  that  this  was  the  cause  of  their  weeping  and 
mourning.  So  grief  and  anxiety  came  upon  him,  and  he  began 
to  weep  and  wail  as  they  had  done.  He  never  laughed  or  smiled 
again  during  his  life,  and  when  he  died  he  was  buried  in  the 
garden  by  the  side  of  the  stranger  and  his  ten  companions. 


STORY  OF  THE  BARBER. 

In  the  reign  of  the  Caliph  Muntasir  Billah,  a  prince  famous 
for  his  liberality  to  the  poor,  there  were  ten  robbers  who  com- 
mitted a  great  many  robberies  and  murders  in  Bagdad.  The 
caliph,  being  informed  of  this,  sent  for  the  chief  of  police,  and 
ordered  him  to  bring  all  the  ten  to  him  in  a  boat.  The  chief  of 
police  sent  so  many  people  in  search  of  the  robbers  that  they 
were  all  taken  on  the  same  day. 

Now  it  happened  that  on  that  day  there  was  a  barber,  an  old 
man,  walking  on  the  bank  of  the  Tigris,  and  he  saw  the  ten  rob- 
bers taken  into  a  boat.  If  he  had  noticed  the  guards  who  had 
them  in  charge  he  might  have  seen  that  they  were  robbers,  but 
his  attention  was  fixed  on  the  men  themselves,  and,  thinking 
they  were  people  who  intended  to  spend  the  day  in  amusement, 


254 

he  entered  the  boat  with  them,  hoping  that  they  would  not  object 
to  his  being  one  of  the  company.  The  boat  went  down  the  Tigris, 
and  stopped  before  the  caliph's  palace.  By  this  time,  the  barber 
had  discovered  his  mistake.  When  they  left  the  boat,  they  were 
surrounded  by  a  new  troop  of  the  police  guard,  who  bound  them 
all,  and  carried  them  before  the  caliph.  The  barber  was  bound 
as  well  as  the  rest,  but  he  did  not  speak  a  word,  for  it  would  have 
been  useless  for  him  to  speak  or  make  any  resistance.  By 
doing  that  he  would  have  got  himself  illtreated  by  the  guards, 
who  would  not  have  listened  to  him.  He  was  with  the  robbers, 
and  that  was  enough  to  make  them  believe  he  was  one  of  them. 

When  they  were  brought  before  the  caliph  he  ordered  that 
the  heads  of  the  robbers  be  cut  off  immediately.  The  execu- 
tioner drew  them  up  in  file  within  reach  of  his  arm,  the  barber 
happening  to  bc,  placed  last.  .  He  then  cut  off  the  heads  of  the 
ten  robbers,  beginning  at  the  first.  When  he  came  to  the  barber 
he  stopped,  at  which  the  caliph  was  angry.  "  Did  I  not  order 
you, ' '  said  he,  ' '  to  cut  off  the  heads  of  ten  robbers,  and  why 
have  you  cut  off  but  nine  ?  "  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful," 
he  replied,  "  Heaven  preserve  me  from  disobeying  your  Majesty's 
orders.  Here  are  ten  bodies  upon  the  ground,  and  as  many 
heads  which  I  have  cut  off;  your  Majesty  may  count  them." 
When  the  caliph  saw  that  what  the  executioner  said  was  true,  he 
looked  at  the  barber  with  amazement,  and  said  to  him,  "  Old 
man,  how  came  you  to  be  among  those  robbers  ?  ' '  The  barber 
answered,  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful,  I  will  make  a  true  con- 
fession. This  morning  I  saw  those  ten  persons  enter  the  boat. 
I  embarked  with  them,  thinking  that  they  were  going  on  a 
holiday  excursion." 

The  caliph  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  barber's  adventure, 
and  he  admired  his  wisdom  and  silence  in  the  boat.  "  Com- 
mander of  the  Faithful,"  said  the  barber,  "  your  Majesty  need 
not  wonder  at  my  silence  on  such  an  occasion.  I  am  remarkable 
for  holding  my  tongue,  and  on  that  account  have  got  the  title  of 
Silent,  by  which  I  am  known  from  my  four  brothers. "  "I  am 


255 

glad,"  said  the  caliph,  smiling,  "  that  they  gave  you  a  title  which 
you  deserve  so  well.  But  tell  me,  what  sort  of  men  were  your 
brothers  ?  were  they  like  you  ?  "  "  By  no  means,"  replied  the 
barber,  "  they  were  all  of  them  talkative  fellows.  And  in  their 
appearance  there  was  still  a  greater  difference  between  them  and 
me.  The  first  was  blind,  the  second  had  but  one  eye,  the  third 
had  his  ears  cut  off,  and  the  fourth  had  harelips.  They  met  with 
strange  adventures  which  I  shall  be  glad  to  relate  to  your  Ma- 
jesty."  As  the  caliph  wished  to  hear  the  stories,  the  barber 
went  on  as  follows : 


STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  FIRST  BROTHER. 

Commander  of  the  Faithful,  my  first  brother,  whose  name  was 
Bakbak,  was  blind,  and  he  made  his  living  by  begging  from  door 
to  door.  He  had  been  so  long  accustomed  to  walk  through  the 
streets  alone  that  he  needed  nobody  to  lead  hinK  He  had  a 
custom  to  knock  at  people's  doors,  and  not  answer  till  they 
opened  to  him.  One  day  he  knocked  at  the  door  of  a  house, 
and  the  master,  who  was  alone,  cried,  ' '  Who  is  'there  ?  ' '  My 
brother  made  no  answer,  and  knocked  a  second  time;  the  mas- 
ter of  the  house  asked  again  and  again,  "  Who  is  there  ?  "  but 
my  brother  did  not  answer.  The  master  then  came  down, 
opened  the  door,  and  asked  what  he  wanted.  ' '  Give  me  some- 
thing, for  Heaven's  sake,"  said  Bakbak.  "  You  seem  to  be 
blind,"  replied  the  master  of  the  house.  "  Yes,  to  my  sorrow, " 
answered  my  brother.  "  Give  me  your  hand,"  said  the  master 
of  the  house.  My  brother  did  so,  thinking  he  was  going  to  give 
him  alms,  but  he  only  took  him  by  the  hand  to  lead  him  up  to 
his  chamber.  Bakbak  thought  he  was  bringing  him  to  dine  with 
him,  as  many  other  people  had  done. 

When  they  reached  the  chamber,  the  man  let  go  his  hand, 
and,  sitting  down,  asked  my  brother  again  what  he  wanted.  ' '  I 
have  already  told  you,"  said  Bakbak,  "  that  I  want  some  alms, 


256 

as  I  am  blind. "  "  Good  blind  man, ' '  replied  the  master  of  the 
house,  "  all  that  I  can  do  for  you  is  to  wish  that  you  may  regain 
your  sight."  "  You  might  have  told  me  that  at  the  door,"  re- 
plied my  brother,  "  and  not  have  given  me  the  trouble  to  come 
upstairs."  "  And  why,"  said  the  man  of  the  house,  "  did  you 
not  answer  at  first,  when  I  asked  who  was  there  ?  Why  did  you 
give  me  the  trouble  to  come  and  open  the  door?  "  "  What 
will  you  do  with  me  then  ?  ' '  asked  my  brother.  ' '  I  tell  you 
again, ' '  said  the  man  of  the  house,  ' '  I  have  nothing  to  give  you. ' ' 
Help  me  downstairs  then,  as  you  brought  me  up, ' '  said  Bakbak. 
"The  stairs  are  before  you,"  replied  the  man  of  the  house, 
"  and  you  may  go  down  by  yourself."  My  brother  attempted 
to  go  down,  but  missing  a  step  about  the  middle  of  the  stairs, 
he  fell  to  the  bottom  and  hurt  his  head  and  back.  He  got  up 
with  difficulty,  and  went  out,  abusing  the  master  of  the  house, 
who  laughed  at  his  fall. 

As  my  brother  went  out  of  the  house,  two  blind  men,  his  com- 
panions, who  were  passing  by,  knew  him  by  his  voice,  and  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter.  He  told  them  what  had  happened, 
and  said,  "  I  have  eaten  nothing  to-day;  I  beg  you  to  come 
along  with  me  to  my  house,  that  I  may  take  some  of  the  money 
that  we  three  have  in  common,  to  buy  me  something  for  supper." 
The  two  blind  men  agreed,  and  they  went  home  with  him. 

Now  the  master  of  the  house  where  my  brother  was  so  ill-used 
was  a  robber,  of  a  cunning  and  evil  disposition.  He  overheard 
from  his  window  what  Bakbak  said  to  his  companions,  and  he 
came  down  and  followed  them  to  my  brother's  house,  and  went 
in  unknown  to  them.  The  blind  men  being  seated,  Bakbak  said 
to  them,  "  Brothers,  we  must  shut  the  door,  and  take  care  there 
is  no  stranger  with  us."  At  this  the  robber  was  much  alarmed, 
but  seeing  a  rope  hanging  down  from  a  beam,  he  caught  hold  of 
it,  and  hung  by  it,  while  the  blind  men  shut  the  door,  and  felt 
about  the  room  with  their  sticks.  When  they  had  done  this,  and 
sat  again  in  their  places,  the  robber  left  his  rope,  and  seated 
himself  softly  by  my  brother,  who,  thinking  he  was  alone  with 


257 

his  blind  comrades,  said  to  them,  "  Brothers,  the  last  time  we 
counted  our  money  you  know  we  had  ten  thousand  pieces  of 
silver,  and  that  we  put  them  into  ten  bags.  I  will  show  you  that 
I  have  not  touched  one  of  them." 

He  then  put  his  hand  among  some  old  clothes,  and,  taking  out 
the  bags,  one  after  another,  gave  them  to  his  comrades,  saying, 
"There  they  are;  you  may  count  them  if  you  please."  His 
comrades  answered  that  they  did  not  doubt  his  word.  Then  he 
opened  one  of  the  bags  and  took  out  ten  pieces,  and  each  of  the 
other  men  did  the  same.  My  brother  put  the  bags  into  their 
place  again,  after  which  one  of  the  blind  men  said  to  him, 
"  There  is  no  need  to  lay  out  anything  for  supper,  for  I  have 
collected  as  much  victuals  from  good  people  as  wilt  serve  us  all." 
At  the  same  time  he  took  out  of  his  bag  bread  and  cheese  and 
fruit,  and  when  he  had  put  all  upon  the  table,  they  began  to  eat. 

The  robber,  who  sat  at  my  brother's  right  hand,  picked  out 
the  best,  and  ate  with  them,  but  though  he  took  great  care  to 
make  no  noise,  Bakbak  heard  him  eating,  and  cried  out  imme- 
diately, "  We  are  undone!  there  is  a  stranger  among  us!  "  He 
then  stretched  out  his  hand,  and,  catching  hold  of  the  robber  by 
the  arm,  fell  upon  him  and  struck  him.  The  other  blind  men 
fell  upon  him  in  like  manner.  The  robber  defended  himself  as 
well  as  he  could,  and,  being  young  and  strong,  and  having  the 
use  of  his  eyes,  gave  furious  blows,  sometimes  to  one,  sometimes 
to  another.  The  neighbors,  hearing  the  noise,  broke  open  the 
door  and  went  in.  They  had  much  to  do  to  separate  the  fight- 
ers, but  at  last  succeeded.  Then  they  asked  the  cause  of  the 
quarrel.  My  brother,  who  still  had  hold  of  the  robber,  cried 
out,  "  This  man  I  have  hold  of  is  a  thief,  and  he  stole  in  with 
us  on  purpose  to  rob  us  of  the  little  money  we  have. ' '  The  thief, 
who  shut  his  eyes  as  soon  as  the  neighbors  came  in,  pretending 
to  be  blind,  cried  out,  "  I  declare  to  you  that  I  am  their  com- 
panion, and  they  refuse  to  give  me  my  share.  They  all  three  have 
fallen  upon  me,  and  I  demand  justice."  The  neighbors  would 
not  interfere  in  the  quarrel,  but  took  them  all  before  the  judge. 

ARABIAN    NIGHTS — 17 


258 

When  they  came  before  the  judge,  the  robber,  without  waiting 
to  be  questioned,  cried  out,  still  pretending  to  be  blind,  "  Sir, 
I  declare  to  you  that  we  are  all  robbers,  my  three  comrades  and 
I,  but  we  have  agreed  among  ourselves  to  confess  nothing  unless 
we  are  flogged,  so  that  if  you  wish  to  know  about  our  crimes  you 
have  only  to  flog  us,  and  you  may  begin  with  me. ' '  My  brother 
would  have  spoken,  but  was  not  allowed  to  do  so. 

The  robber,  being  put  under  the  lash,  had  the  courage  to  bear 
twenty  or  thirty  blows.  Then,  pretending  to  be  overcome  with 
pain,  he  first  opened  one  eye,  and  in  a  little  while  afterwards  the 
other,  and,  crying  out  for  mercy,  begged  the  judge  to  put  a  stop 
to  the  blows.  The  judge,  much  surprised  at  seeing  his  eyes 
open,  said  to  him,  "  Villain,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  mira- 
cle ?"  "  Sir,"  replied  the  robber,  "  I  will  tell  you  a  secret,  if 
you  will  pardon  me,  and  give  me,  as  a  pledge  that  you  will  keep 
your  word,  the  seal  ring  which  you  have  on  your  finger. ' ' 

The  judge  consented,  gave  him  his  ring,  and  promised  him 
pardon.  Then  the  robber  said,  "  I  confess  to  you,  sir,  that  I  and 
my  three  comrades  can  all  of  us  see  very  well.  We  pretend  to 
be  blind,  and  by  this  trick  we  have  gained  together  ten  thousand 
pieces  of  silver.  This  day  I  demanded  of  my  comrades  two 
thousand  five  hundred  as  my  share,  but  they  refused  because  I 
told  them  I  would  leave  them,  and  they  were  afraid  I  might 
discover  on  them.  If  you  want  to  make  them  confess  the  truth, 
you  must  order  them  three  times  as  many  blows  as  I  have  had, 
and  you  will  find  that  they  will  open  their  eyes  as  well  as  I  have 
done."  "  Villains,"  said  the  judge  to  my  brother  and  his  com- 
panions, "  do  you  pretend  to  be  blind,  and  cheat  people,  and 
commit  such  crimes  ?  "  "  He  is  an  impostor, ' '  cried  my 
brother,  "  and  we  take  God  to  witness  that  none  of  us  can  see." 

But  all  that  my  brother  could  say  was  useless.  His  comrades 
and  he  received  each  of  them  two  hundred  blows.  The  judge 
expected  them  to  open  their  eyes,  and  thought  it  was  through 
obstinacy  that  they  did  not  do  what  they  really  could  not  do. 
The  robber  then  addressing  the  judge,  said,  "  I  see,  sir,  that 


259 

they  will  be  obstinate  to  the  last.  It  is  better,  if  you  think  fit, 
to  pardon  them,  and  to  send  some  person  along  with  me  for  the 
ten  thousand  pieces  of  silver  they  have  hidden."  This  was  im- 
mediately done,  and  when  the  money  was  brought  to  the  judge's 
house,  he  gave  the  robber  two  thousand  five  hundred  pieces,  and 
kept  the  rest  himself.  As  for  my  brother  and  his  two  compan- 
ions, he  ordered  them  to  be  banished  from  the  city. 

When  I  heard  what  had  happened  to  my  brother,  I  went  to 
him,  and  brought  him  back  secretly.  I  could  easily  have  proved 
to  the  judge  that  he  was  innocent,  and  have  the  robber  punished 
as  he  deserved,  but  I  dared  not  do  so  for  fear  of  bringing  myself 
into  danger  of  being  killed  by  the  robber. 


STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  SECOND  BROTHER. 

Alcouz  was  the  name  of  my  second  brother.  He  was  a 
butcher.  He  had  a  very  good  trade,  and  had  his  store  always 
full  of  the  best  meat.  One  day  an  old  man,  with  a  long  white 
beard,  came  and  bought  six  pounds  of  meat,  gave  my  brother  the 
money  for  it,  and  went  away.  My  brother  thought  the  money 
so  pure  and  well  coined  that  he  put  it  apart  by  itself.  The  same 
old  man  came  every  day  for  five  months,  bought  the  same 
quantity  of  meat,  and  paid  for  it  in  the  same  kind  of  money, 
which  my  brother  continued  to  lay  apart. 

At  the  end  of  five  months,  Alcouz,  wishing  to  buy  a  lot  of 
sheep,  and  to  pay  for  them  in  this  money,  opened  his  chest,  but 
instead  of  finding  money,  he  was  surprised  to  see  nothing  in  the 
place  where  he  had  left  it  but  a  parcel  of  leaves  clipped  round. 
He  beat  his  head,  and  cried  aloud,  which  at  once  brought  the 
neighbors  about  him,  who  were  as  much  surprised  as  he  when  he 
told  them  the  story.  Just  at  that  moment  happening  to  see  the 
old  man  in  the  street,  he  ran  out  and  laid  hands  on  him.  "  Mus- 
sulmans," cried  he,  as  loud  as  he  could,  "  help!  hear  what  a 
cheat  this  wicked  fellow  is,"  and  at  the  same  time  he  told  a 


260 

great  crowd  of  people,  who  came  about  him,  what  he  had  already 
told  his  neighbors.  When  he  had  done,  the  old  man  said  to  him 
very  quietly,  "  You  had  better  let  me  go  for  fear  I  may  do 
something  worse  to  you,  which  I  should  be  sorry  to  do." 
"  How  ?  "  said  my  brother,  "  what  have  you  to  say  against  me  ? 
I  am  an  honest  man  in  my  business,  and  fear  neither  you  nor 
anybody. "  "  You  will  have  me  speak  out,  then  ?  ' '  replied  the 
old  man,  and  turning  to  the  crowd,  he  said  to  them,  "  Good 
people,  this  fellow,  instead  of  selling  mutton  as  he  ought  to  do, 
sells  human  flesh.  Go  into  his  shop  and  see  for  yourselves  if 
what  I  say  is  not  true." 

The  mob  ran  like  madmen  into  the  shop,  where  they  saw,  to 
all  appearance,  a  man  hung  up  dead,  as  the  old  man  had  said; 
for  he  was  a  magician,  and  deceived  the  eyes  of  all  the  people, 
as  he  did  my  brother  when  he  made  him  take  leaves  instead  of 
money.  At  this  sight,  one  of  the  crowd  gave  Alcouz  a  violent 
blow  with  his  fist,  and  said  to  him,  "Wicked  villain!  dost  thou 
make  us  eat  man's  flesh  instead  of  mutton  ?  "  At  the  same  time 
the  old  man  gave  him  another  blow,  which  beat  out  one  of  his 
eyes.  Everybody  that  could  get  near  struck  him,  and  not  con- 
tent with  that,  they  carried  him  before  a  judge.  The  judge 
would  believe  nothing  of  the  story  of  the  money  changed  into 
leaves,  but  called  my  brother  a  cheat,  and  ordered  him  to  receive 
five  hundred  blows.  He  afterwards  made  him  tell  where  his 
money  was,  took  it  all  from  him,  and  banished  him  forever  from 
the  city. 

But  this  was  not  the  end  of  my  brother's  misfortunes.  In  the 
city  to  which  he  went  after  his  banishment,  he  happened  one 
day  to  be  standing  near  the  gate  of  a  house,  when  two  servants 
came  and  collared  him,  saying,  "  Heaven  be  praised  that  you 
have  come  of  your  own  accord  to  give  yourself  up !  You  have 
alarmed  us  so  much  these  last  three  nights  that  we  could  not 
sleep."  My  brother  was  much  surprised.  "  Good  people," 
said  he,  ' '  I  know  not  what  you  mean ;  you  certainly  take  me  for 
somebody  else."  "  No,  no,"  replied  they,  "  we  know  that  you 


26 1 

and  your  comrades  are  robbers.  Let  us  see  if  you  have  not  the 
knife  about  you  which  you  had  in  your  hand  when  you  ran  after 
us  last  night."  Having  thus  spoken,  they  searched  him,  and 
found  that  he  had  a  knife.  "  Ho!  ho!  "  cried  they,  laying  hold 
of  him,  "  do  you  dare  now  to  say  that  you  are  not  a  robber  ?  " 
"  Why,"  said  my  brother,  "  may  not  a  man  carry  a  knife  about 
him  without  being  a  robber  ?  If  you  will  listen  to  my  story, 
instead  of  having  so  bad  an  opinion  of  me,  you  will  be  touched 
with  pity  at  my  misfortunes. ' ' 

The  two  servants,  however,  not  only  refused  to  listen  to  him, 
but  took  him  before  the  judge,  who  asked  him  why  he  dared  to 
go  into  people's  houses,  and  pursue  them  with  a  drawn  knife. 
"  Sir,"  replied  the  unfortunate  Alcouz,  "  I  am  the  most  innocent 
man  in  the  world ;  be  pleased  to  hear  me  patiently. "  "  Sir, ' ' 
exclaimed  one  of  the  servants,  "  will  you  listen  to  a  robber,  who 
enters  people's  houses  to  rob  and  murder  them  ?  If  you  will  not 
believe  us,  only  look  upon  his  back. ' ' 

While  he  said  so,  he  uncovered  my  brother's  back,  and  showed 
to  the  judge  the  marks  of  the  stripes  he  had  formerly  received. 
The  judge,  without  any  further  inquiry  or  information,  com- 
manded his  officers  to  immediately  give  him  a  hundred  lashes 
over  the  shoulders,  and  had  him  afterwards  carried  through  the 
town  on  a  camel,  with  one  crying  before  him,  "  Thus  are  men 
punished  who  enter  people's  houses  by  force."  After  having 
so  treated  him,  they  banished  him  from  the  town,  and  forbade 
him  ever  to  return.  Being  informed  of  this  misfortune,  I  went 
and  brought  him  to  Bagdad  privately,  and  gave  him  all  the 
assistance  I  could. 

The  caliph  was  pleased  to  pity  the  unfortunate  Alcouz,  and 
ordered  something  to  be  given  to  the  barber  for  him.  But  with- 
out allowing  the  servants  time  to  carry  out  the  caliph's  order, 
the  barber  continued  his  discourse,  and  said  to  him,  "  My 
sovereign  lord  and  master,  since  your  Majesty  has  been  pleased 
to  listen  to  me  so  far,  I  beg  you  to  also  hear  the  adventures  of 
mv  other  two  brothers." 


262 


STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  THIRD  BROTHER. 

My  third  brother  was  called  Alnaschar.  He  was  very  lazy*  as 
long  as  our  father  lived.  Instead  of  working  he  used  to  beg,  and 
lived  upon  what  he  got.  The  old  man,  our  father,  at  his  death 
left  five  hundred  pieces  of  silver,  which  we  divided  equally  among 
us.  Alnaschar,  who  never  before  possessed  so  much  money,  was 
much  puzzled  to  know  what  to  do  with  it.  He  at  last  resolved 
to  lay  it  out  in  glassware,  which  he  might  sell  at  a  profit.  This 
he  accordingly  did,  and  with  his  basket  of  glassware  he  sat  in  a 
public  place  to  sell  it, .  leaning  his  back  against  a  wall. 

Seated  thus  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  basket,  he  began  to  think 
of  his  plans  for  the  future.  "  This  basket,"  said  he  to  himself, 
"  cost  me  a  hundred  pieces  of  silver,  which  was  all  I  had  in  the 
world.  I  shall  make  two  hundred  by  retailing  my  glass,  and  of 
these  two  hundred,  which  I  will  again  lay  out  in  glassware,  I 
shall  make  four  hundred,  and  going  on  thus,  I  shall  at  last  make 
four  thousand  pieces  of  silver.  Of  four  thousand  I  shall  easily 
make  eight  thousand,  and  when  I  come  to  ten  thousand,  I  will 
leave  off  selling  glass,  and  turn  jeweler.  I  will  trade  in  diamonds, 
pearls,  and  all  sorts  of  precious  stones.  Then  when  I  am  as  rich 
as  I  can  wish,  I  will  buy  a  fine  house,  a  great  estate,  slaves,  and 
horses.  I  will  then  ask  the  grand  vizier's  daughter  in  marriage. 
I  will  dress  myself  like  a  prince,  and  mounted  upon  a  fine  horse, 
with  a  saddle  of  gold,  and  trappings  of  cloth  of  gold,  finely  em- 
broidered with  diamonds  and  pearls,  I  will  ride  through  the  city, 
attended  by  slaves,  before  and  behind.  I  will  go  to  the  vizier's 
palace  in  view  of  all  the  people,  who  will  show  me  the  greatest 
respect.  When  I  alight  at  the  foot  of  the  vizier's  staircase,  I 
will  ascend  through  my  own  slaves,  ranged  in  files  on  the  right 
and  left,  and  the  grand  vizier  will  receive  me  as  his  son-in-law, 
and  give  me  his  right  hand,  and  set  me  above  him,  to  do  me  the 
more  honor. ' ' 

My  brother's  mind  was  so  full  of  these  thoughts  that  he  quite 
forgot  where  he  was,  and  in  moving  his  foot  he  tossed  over  the 


263 

basket,  so  that  the  glass  was  all  thrown  down  and  broken  into  a 
thousand  pieces.  Then  he  came  to  himself,  and  seeing  what 
had  happened,  he  beat  his  face,  tore  his  clothes,  and  cried  so 
loud  that  the  people  stopped  to  inquire  what  was  the  matter. 
A  lady  of  rank,  passing  by  upon  a  mule  with  rich  trappings,  was 
moved  to  pity  at  his  grief.  She  immediately  turned  to  her  purse 
bearer  who  attended  her,  and  said  to  him,  "  Give  the  poor  man 
what  you  have  about  you. ' '  The  slave  obeyed,  and  put  into  my 
brother's  hand  a  purse  with  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold.  Alna- 
schar  was  ready  to  die  with  joy  when  he  received  it.  He  gave  a 
thousand  blessings  to  the  lady,  and,  departing,  went  to  his  house. 

While  thinking  over  his  good  luck,  he  heard  somebody  knock 
at  the  door.  Before  he  opened,  he  asked  who  it  was,  and,  know- 
ing by  the  voice  that  it  was  a  woman,  he  let  her  in.  ' '  My  son, ' ' 
said  she,  "  I  have  a  favor  to  beg  of  you;  the  hour  of  prayer  is 
come;  let  me  pray  in  your  house."  My  brother  granted  her 
request.  When  she  had  finished  her  prayers,  she  came  to  my 
brother  and  bowed  twice  to  the  ground,  so  low  that  she  touched 
it  with  her  forehead.  Being  poorly  clad,  my  brother  thought 
she  asked  alms,  and  he  offered  her  two  pieces  of  gold.  The  old 
woman  stepped  back  in  surprise,  as  if  my  brother  had  insulted 
her.  "Is  it  possible,  sir,"  said  she,  "  that  you  take  me  for  a 
beggar  ?  I  don't  need  your  money.  I  live  with  a  young  lady 
of  this  city,  who  is  beautiful  and  very  rich,  and  she  lets  me  want 
for  nothing. ' '  My  brother  was  not  sharp  enough  to  see  the  craft 
of  the  old  woman,  who  refused  the  two  pieces  of  gold  only  that 
she  might  catch  more.  He  asked  her  if  she  could  procure  him 
the  honor  of  seeing  that  lady.  "  With  all  my  heart,"  she  re- 
plied; "  take  up  your  money,  and  follow  me." 

My  brother,  rejoicing  at  the  prospect  of  seeing  a  rich  and 
beautiful  lady,  whom  he  hoped  to  make  his  wife,  took  his  five 
hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  followed  the  old  woman.  She 
walked  on  to  the  gate  of  a  great  house,  where  she  knocked. 
A  young  Greek  slave  opened  the  gate.  The  old  woman  brought 
my  brother  into  a  handsome  hall,  where  she  left  him.  The 


264 

young  lady  soon  entered.  Her  beauty  and  rich  dress  surprised 
him.  He  rose  as  soon  as  he  saw  her.  The  lady,  with  smiling 
countenance,  invited  him  to  sit  down  again,  and  shortly  after- 
wards conducted  him  into  an  inner  chamber,  where  she  talked 
with  him  for  some  time.  She  then  left  him,  saying  that  she 
would  be  with  him  in  a  moment.  He  waited  for  her,  but  instead 
of  the  lady,  a  great  black  slave  came  in  with  a  sword  in  his  hand, 
and  looking  at  my  brother,  said  to  him  fiercely,  "  What  is  your 
business  here  ?  ' '  Alnaschar  was  so  frightened  that  he  had  not 
the  power  to  answer.  The  slave  then  stripped  him,  carried  off 
his  gold,  and  gave  him  several  wounds  with  his  sword. 

My  unhappy  brother  fell  to  the  ground,  where  he  lay  without 
motion,  though  he  still  had  the  use  of  his  senses.  The  black 
and  the  Greek  slave  having  left  the  room,  the  old  woman,  who 
had  enticed  my  brother  into  the  snare,  came  and  dragged  him 
by  the  feet  to  a  trapdoor,  and  threw  him  into  a  place  under- 
ground, among  the  bodies  of  several  other  people  who  had  been 
murdered.  He  recovered  strength  by  degrees,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  walk,  and,  after  two  days,  opened  the  trapdoor  in  the  night, 
and  made  his  escape.  He  then  came  to  me  for  help  and  told 
me  of  his  adventures. 

In  a  month's  time  he  was  perfectly  cured  of  his  wounds  by 
medicines  that  I  gave  him,  and  he  resolved  to  have  revenge  upon 
the  old  woman.  With  this  object  he  took  a  bag  large  enough  to 
contain  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  filled  it  with  pieces  of 
glass.  He  then  dressed  himself  like  an  old  woman,  and  took  a 
sword  under  his  cloak.  He  soon  met  the  old  woman  walking 
through  the  town.  Going  up  to  her,  and  speaking  in  a  woman's 
voice,  he  said,  ' '  Can  you  lend  me  a  pair  of  scales  ?  I  am  newly 
come  from  Persia,  have  brought  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold  with 
me,  and  wish  to  know  if  they  are  the  right  weight. "  "  Good 
woman,"  answered  the  old  hag,  "  You  could  not  have  applied 
to  a  fitter  person.  Follow  me;  I  will  conduct  you  to  my  son, 
who  changes  money,  and  he  will  weigh  them  to  save  you  the 
trouble."  My  brother  followed  her  to  the  house  to  which 


265 

she  had  brought  him  before,  and  the  Greek  slave  opened  the 
door. 

The  old  woman  took  my  brother  to  the  hall,  where  she  re- 
quested him  to  wait  till  she  called  her  son.  The  pretended  son 
came,  and  proved  to  be  the  villainous  black  slave.  "  Come,  old 
woman, ' '  said  he  to  my  brother,  ' '  rise  and  follow  me. ' '  Having 
spoken  thus,  he  went  before  to  conduct  my  brother  to  the  place, 
where  the  trapdoor  was,  which  led  to  the  underground  passage. 
Alnaschar  got  up,  followed  him,  and,  drawing  his  sword,  gave  him 
such  a  blow  in  the  back  of  the  neck  that  he  killed  him  with  the 
one  stroke.  Then  he  threw  his  dead  body  into  the  place  under- 
ground. The  wicked  old  woman  came  running  in  at  the  noise, 
and  my  brother,  seizing  her,  said,  "Wretch,  do  you  not  know 
me  ?  "  "  Alas,  sir,"  answered  she,  trembling,  "  who  are  you  ? 
I  do  not  remember  that  I  ever  saw  you."  "  I  am,"  replied  he, 
"  the  person  to  whose  house  you  came  the  other  day  to  say  your 
prayers.  Wicked  woman,  do  you  not  remember  ?  ' '  Then  she 
fell  on  her  knees  to  beg  his  pardon,  but  he  slew  her  with  his 
sword. 

He  now  went  to  look  for  the  lady,  and  found  her  in  the 
inner  room,  "Madam,"  said  he,  "how  could  you  live  with 
such  wicked  people  ?  ' '  Then  she  told  my  brother  this  story : 

"  I  was  wife  to  an  honest  merchant,  and  the  old  woman, 
whose  wickedness  I  did  not  then  know,  used  sometimes  to  come 
and  see  me.  '  Madam,'  said  she  to  me  one  day,  '  we  have  a 
wedding  at  our  house,  which  you  will  be  pleased  to  see,  if  you 
will  give  us  the  honor  of  your  company. '  I  put  on  my  best 
dress,  took  with  me  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  followed  the 
old  woman.  She  brought  me  to  this  house,  where  the  black  has 
since  kept  me  by  force,  and  I  have  been  three  years  here  to  my 
great  sorrow."  "  By  the  trade  which  that  wicked  black  fol- 
lowed," replied  my  brother,  "  he  must  have  gathered  together  a 
vast  deal  of  riches."  "  There  is  so  much,"  said  she,  "  that  you 
will  be  wealthy  forever  if  you  can  carry  them  off;  follow  me,  and 
you  shall  see  them."  Alnaschar  followed  her  to  a  chamber, 


266 

where  she  showed  him  several  chests  full  of  gold,  which  he  beheld 
with  admiration.  ' '  Go, ' '  said  she,  ' '  and  fetch  people  to  help 
you  carry  them  all  off." 

My  brother  went  out,  got  ten  men,  and  brought  them  with 
him,  but  on  his  return  he  was  surprised  to  find  the  gate  open, 
and  the  lady  and  the  chests  gone,  for  she,  being  more  active 
than  he,  had  conveyed  them  all  off  and  disappeared.  However, 
he  resolved  not  to  go  away  empty-handed,  and  so  he  carried 
off  all  the  furniture  of  the  house,  which  was  a  great  deal  more 
than  enough  to  make  up  for  the  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold  he 
had  been  robbed  of.  But  when  he  went  out  of  the  house,  he 
forgot  to  shut  the  gate.  The  neighbors,  who  saw  him  and  the 
men  come  and  go,  went  and  informed  the  cadi,  for  they  looked 
upon  his  conduct  as  suspicious.  Early  next  morning,  when  my 
brother  came  out  of  his  house,  twenty  of  the  cadi's  men  seized 
him.  "  Come  along  with  us,"  said  they,  "  our  master  desires 
to  speak  with  you. ' ' 

When  brought  before  him,  the  cadi  asked  my  brother  where 
he  got  the  things  which  he  carried  home  the  day  before.  My 
brother  then  told  him  the  whole  story,  from  beginning  to  end, — 
about  the  old  woman  coming  into  his  house  to  say  her  prayers, 
why  he  had  killed  the  black,  the  slave,  and  the  old  woman,  and 
about  the  escape  of  the  lady,  and  he  begged  the  judge  to  leave 
him  part  of  the  furniture  for  the  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold  of 
which  he  had  been  robbed. 

The  judge,  without  promising  anything,  sent  his  officers  to 
bring  off  the  whole,  and,  having  put  the  goods  into  his  own 
house,  commanded  my  brother  to  quit  the  town  immediately, 
and  never  to  return,  for  he  was  afraid  that  if  he  staid  in  the  city 
he  would  complain  to  the  caliph. 

Alnaschar  at  once  obeyed.  He  left  that  town  to  go  to  another, 
but  on  the  way  he  met  robbers,  who  stripped  him  naked  and  cut 
off  his  ears.  When  the  news  reached  me,  I  carried  him  handsome 
clothes,  and  brought  him  secretly  into  the  town,  where  I  took 
care  of  him  as  I  did  of  my  other  brothers. 


267 


STORY  OF  THE  BARBER'S  FOURTH  BROTHER. 

I  have  now  only  to  tell  the  story  of  my  fourth  brother,  called 
Schacabac.  At  first  he  was  industrious  enough  to  make  profit 
with  the  hundred  pieces  of  silver  which  fell  to  his  share,  but  a 
reverse  of  fortune  brought  him  to  poverty.  One  day,  as  he 
passed  by  a  magnificent  house  where  there  was  a  multitude  of 
servants,  he  went  to  one  of  them,  and  asked  him  to  whom  the 
house  belonged.  "  Good  man,"  replied  the  servant,  "  are  you 
a  stranger  that  you  ask  such  a  question  ?  Does  not  all  that  you 
see  show  you  that  it  is  the  palace  of  a  Barmecide  ?  ' '  My 
brother,  who  very  well  knew  the  liberality  and  generosity  of  the 
Barmecide  family,  then  begged  one  of  the  servants  for  alms. 
"  Go  in,"  said  the  servant,  "  nobody  hinders  you.  Speak  to 
the  master  of  the  house ;  he  will  give  you  what  you  need. ' ' 

My  brother  thanked  the  servant,  and  entered  the  palace.  He 
went  on  till  he  came  into  a  hall  richly  furnished,  and  adorned 
with  beautiful  paintings.  Here  he  saw  a  venerable  man  with  a 
long  white  beard,  sitting  at  the  upper  end  on  a  sofa.  He  sup- 
posed him  to  be  the  master  of  the  house,  which  in  fact  he  was. 
It  was  the  Barmecide  himself,  and  he  said  to  my  brother,  in  a 
very  civil  manner,  that  he  was  welcome,  and  asked  him  what  he 
wanted.  "  My  lord,"  answered  my  brother,  "  I  am  a  poor 
man,  and  I  am  in  need  of  help.  I  have  not  eaten  one  bit  to- 
day." "  Is  it  true,"  exclaimed  the  Barmecide,  "  that  you  are 
fasting  till  now  ?  Alas,  poor  man,  you  must  be  ready  to  die  for 
hunger.  Ho,  boy!  "  cried  he  with  a  loud  voice,  "  bring  a  basin 
and  water,  that  we  may  wash  our  hands. ' '  Though  no  boy  ap- 
peared, and  my  brother  saw  neither  water  nor  basin,  the  Barme- 
cide fe.ll  to  rubbing  his  hands  as  if  water  had  been  poured  upon 
them,  and  he  bade  my  brother  come  and  wash  with  him.  Schac- 
abac, thinking  from  this  that  the  Barmecide  lord  liked  a  joke, 
came  forward  and  did  as  he  was  required.  He  rubbed  his  hands 
as  if  washing  them. 

"  Come  on,"  said  the  Barmecide  to  the  servants,  "  bring  us 


268 

something  to  eat,  and  do  not  let  us  wait."  The  servants  im- 
mediately began  to  come  and  go  as  though  they  were  bringing 
various  kinds  of  food  to  the  table,  and  the  Barmecide,  taking 
my  brother  to  the  imaginary  table  and  sitting  down  with  him, 
began  to  move  his  hands  and  lips  as  if  eating.  Then  he  said  to 
my  brother,  "  Come,  friend,  eat  as  freely  as  if  you  were  at 
home.  You  said  you  were  like  to  die  of  hunger,  but  you  seem 
to  have  no  appetite. "  "  Pardon  me,  my  lord, ' '  said  Schacabac, 
who  imitated  what  the  Barmecide  did,  "  you  see  I  lose  no  time." 
"How  like  you  this  bread?"  said  the  Barmecide;  "do  you 
not  find  it  very  good  ?  "  "  My  lord,"  replied  my  brother,  who 
saw  neither  bread  nor  meat,  "  I  have  never  eaten  bread  so  white 
and  so  fine."  "  Eat  your  fill,"  said  the  Barmecide.  "  I  assure 
you  the  slave  who  bakes  this  bread  cost  me  five  hundred  pieces 
of  gold."  The  Barmecide  then  cried,  "  Boy,  bring  us  another 
dish ;  ' '  and  though  no  boy  appeared,  the  master  said,  ' '  Come, 
my  good  friend,  taste  this  new  dish,  and  tell  me  if  ever  you  ate 
better  mutton  and  barley  broth."  "It  is  good,"  replied  my 
brother,  "  and  therefore  you  see  I  eat  heartily."  "  You  oblige 
me  highly,"  said  the  Barmecide.  "  I  beg  you,  then,  to  eat  it 
all  up,  since  you  like  it  so  well." 

A  little  while  afterwards  he  called  for  a  goose  and  sweet  sauce. 
He  then  called  for  several  other  good  things,  of  which  my  brother 
pretended  to  eat,  but  what  he  boasted  of  most  were  chickens 
stuffed  with  nuts,  which  he  ordered  to  be  brought  up.  "  I  knew 
you  would  like  this  dish,"  said  the  Barmecide.  "  There  is 
nothing  in  the  world  finer,"  replied  my  brother,  "it  is  most 
delicious."  "  Come,  bring  the  hash.  I  fancy  you  will  like 
that  as  well  as  you  did  the  chickens.  Well,  how  do  you  rel- 
ish it?" 

"  Oh,  it  is  wonderful,"  replied  Schacabac,  "  for  here  we  taste 
all  at  once  cloves,  nutmeg,  ginger,  pepper,  and  the  most  agreea- 
ble herbs,  and  all  these  are  so  well  mixed  that  one  does  not  pre- 
vent our  tasting  the  other."  "How  pleasant!  Honor  this 
hash,"  said  the  Barmecide,  "by  eating  heartily  of  it. — Ho! 


269 

boy !  bring  us  more  hash. "  ' '  No,  my  lord,  please, ' '  replied  my 
brother,  "  for  indeed  I  can  eat  no  more." 

"  Come,  take  it  away,  then,"  said  the  Barmecide,  "  and  bring 
the  fruit. ' '  He  stayed  a  moment,  as  it  were  to  give  time  for  his 
servants  to  carry  it  away  and  bring  the  fruit,  after  which  he  ad- 
dressed my  brother:  "  Taste  these  almonds,  they  are  good  and 
fresh-gathered. ' '  Both  of  them  made  as  if  peeling  the  almonds 
and  eating  them.  Then  the  Barmecide  invited  my  brother  to 
eat  something  else.  "  Look,"  said  he,  "  there  are  all  sorts  of 
fruits,  cakes,  dry  sweetmeats,  and  preserves.  Take  what  you 
like."  Then  stretching  out  his  hand,  as  if  he  had  reached  my 
brother  something,  he  still  bade  him  eat,  and  said  to  him,  "  I 
think  you  do  not  eat  as  if  you  were  as  hungry  as  you  complained 
of  being  when  you  came  in. "  "  My  lord, ' '  replied  Schacabac, 
whose  jaws  ached  with  moving  and  having  nothing  to  eat,  "  I 
assure  you  I  am  so  full  that  I  cannot  eat  one  bit  more." 

"  Well  then,  friend,"  said  the  Barmecide,  "  we  must  drink 
some  wine  now,  after  we  have  eaten  so  well."  "  I  will  drink 
through  respect  for  you,  if  you  insist  upon  it, ' '  said  Schacabac, 
"  but  as  I  am  not  accustomed  to  drink  wine,  I  am  afraid  I  shall 
act  contrary  to  the  respect  that  is  due  to  you;  therefore  I  pray 
you  to  excuse  me  from  drinking  wine.  I  will  be  content  with 
water.  "  No,  no,"  said  the  Barmecide,  "  you  shall  drink  wine," 
and  at  the  same  time  he  commanded  the  servants  to  bring  some. 
Then  he  made  as  if  he  poured  out  wine,  and  drank  first  himself, 
and  pouring  out  for  my  brother,  presented  him  the  glass,  saying 
"  Drink  my  health,  and  let  us  know  if  you  think  this  wine  good." 
My  brother  made  as  if  he  took  the  glass,  and  looked  as  if  the 
color  was  good.  He  then  bowed  to  the  Barmecide,  to  signify 
that  he  took  the  liberty  to  drink  his  health,  and  he  appeared  to 
drink  with  all  signs  of  a  man  that  drinks  with  pleasure.  "  My 
lord,"  said  he,  "  this  is  very  excellent  wine,  but  I  think  it  is  not 
strong  enough."  "  If  you  wish  to  have  stronger,"  answered 
the  Barmecide,  "  you  need  only  speak,  for  1  have  several  sorts 
in  my  cellar.  Try  how  you  like  this, ' '  making  as  if  he  poured 


270 

out  another  glass  for  himself  and  one  for  my  brother.  This  he 
did  several  times.  At  last  Schacabac,  pretending  to  be  intoxi- 
cated, and  acting  the  part  of  a  drunken  man,  lifted  up  his  hand 
and  gave  the  Barmecide  such  a  box  on  the  ear  as  made  him  fall 
down.  He  was  going  to  give  him  another  blow,  but  the  Barme- 
cide, holding  up  his  hand  to  ward  it  off,  cried,  "  Are  you  mad  ?  " 
Then  my  brother,  making  as  if  he  had  come  to  himself  again, 
said,  "  My  lord,  you  have  been  so  good  as  to  admit  me  into 
your  house,  and  give  me  a  treat.  You  should  have  been  satisfied 
with  making  me  eat,  and  not  have  made  me  drink  wine,  for  I 
told  you  beforehand  that  it  might  cause  me  to  fail  in  my  respect 
for  you.  I  am  very  sorry  for  it,  and  beg  your  pardon. ' ' 

Scarcely  had  he  finished  these  words,  when  the  Barmecide, 
instead  of  being  angry,  began  to  laugh  heartily.  ' '  I  have  been 
long, ' '  said  he,  ' '  looking  for  a  man  like  you.  I  forgive  the  blow, 
and  I  wish  that  in  future  we  may  be  friends,  and  that  you  regard 
my  house  as  your  home.  You  have  had  the  politeness  to  fall  in 
with  my  humor,  and  the  patience  to  keep  the  jest  up  to  the  last. 
We  will  now  eat  in  good  earnest. ' '  He  then  commanded  his 
servants  to  cover  the  table,  which  was  speedily  done,  and  my 
brother  was  treated  in  reality  with  all  those  dishes  which  he  had 
eaten  of  before  only  in  fancy.  When  the  table  was  cleared  a 
number  of  handsome  slaves,  richly  dressed,  came  and  sang 
agreeable  songs  and  played  on  musical  instruments. 

The  Barmecide  found  my  brother  to  be  a  man  of  so  much 
good  humor  and  understanding  that  in  a  few  days  he  entrusted 
him  with  the  care  of  his  household.  He  performed  his  duty  well 
in  that  employment  for  twenty  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
the  Barmecide  died.  As  he  had  no  children,  all  his  property 
went  to  the  caliph,  and  my  brother  lost  his  place.  He  then 
joined  a  company  of  pilgrims  going  to  Mecca,  but  unfortunately 
the  company  was  attacked  and  plundered  by  robbers.  My 
brother  was  taken  as  a  slave  by  one  of  them,  who  flogged  him 
for  several  days  to  make  him  pay  money  for  his  freedom.  "  I 
am  your  slave, ' '  said  my  brother,  ' '  you  may  dispose  of  me  as  you 


271 

please,  but  I  declare  that  I  am  very  poor,  and  not  able  to  buy 
myself."  The  robber,  vexed  at  not  getting  the  money  he  ex- 
pected, slit  my  brother's"  lips,  and  after  he  had  treated  him  in 
this  cruel  manner,  he  carried  him  on  a  camel  to  the  top  of  a 
mountain,  where  he  left  him.  The  mountain  was  on  the  road 
to  Bagdad,  and  the  passengers  who  saw  him  there  informed  me 
where  he  was.  I  went  there  speedily,  gave  him  what  help  he 
stood  in  need  of,  and  brought  him  back  to  the  city. 

The  caliph  was  so  pleased  with  the  barber  and  his  stories  that 
he  appointed  him  his  own  barber,  gave  him  a  large  salary,  and 
handsome  apartments  near  his  own  palace,  where  he  lived  hap- 
pily the  remainder  of  his  life. 


to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 

on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


l4Nov'4$ 


22May'50$? 


!ODec'52JK 


D£C  14  £58 


1354 


LD2l-100m-9,'48(B399sl61476 


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